Get ready for spring. Volunteers are needed for the Franklin Downtown Partnership and Franklin Garden Club’s annual Beautification Day in downtown Franklin on the morning of Saturday, May 20.

Many hands are needed to help plant a variety of flowers on the bridges, barrels and boxes in front of the stores.

Volunteers with trucks will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Fairmount Fruit Farm at 887 Lincoln St. to pick up trays of flowers and deliver downtown. If you don’t have a truck, arrive by 8:30 a.m. at the municipal parking lot near the bridge in front of The Rome restaurant. Bring work gloves, rakes and garden tools, if you can.

Students: if you have community service hours to satisfy, this is the perfect opportunity to earn your hours. You will get a note documenting your service.

Not available to plant on May 20? Volunteer to water plants for the season. There are 18 weeks of watering needed throughout the summer months, said Eileen Mason, Beautification Day Chairperson. Pick the weeks that work for you.

This season, the Garden Club and volunteers will be planting Pink Dipladenia, Sally Fun, Deep Ocean Salvia (blue), White Wave Petunias and Juncus Grass-Corkscrew Rush. They have a lush tropical look, Mason said.

 “This year’s selections are somewhat new. We try to plant for the hot dry season,” Mason explained. “They are drought-tolerant and should be quite showy throughout the summer.” She has been in charge of this ambitious effort for more than 19 years.

If you can volunteer to plant May 20th or water this summer, email Eileen Mason at [email protected].

Franklin Downtown Partnership Executive Director, Lisa Piana, values the teamwork from all who come together to make this a success. “The FDP is extremely grateful to Eileen Mason, the Garden Club, DPW and the many volunteers that come out every year to plant and water the flowers in the town’s center. We truly appreciate our many sponsors who support the beautification of our wonderful downtown.”

Franklin DPW does their part by supplying water, hoses and mulch, Mason added. They will also clean up litter and debris in certain areas. 

Franklin Downtown Partnership is grateful to the following sponsors who make the beautification effort possible. 

Platinum sponsors: Camford Property Group, Inc., Elizabeth’s Bagels, Eileen Mason-REMAX, Maven Hair Company, Middlesex Savings Bank, R.I. Motorsports. 

Gold sponsors: Dean Bank, Notturno Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., PhysicianOne Urgent Care, D.G. Ranieri Real Estate.

Silver sponsors: Fenton Financial Group, Charles F. Oteri Funeral Home, Safford AXIA Insurance.

Bronze sponsors: Keefe Insurance Agency, Vet Med Pet Supplies.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501©3 organization made up of more than 350 business owners, residents, and community leaders working to revitalize downtown Franklin. Residents can join the Downtown Partnership for only $25. The Partnership manages events like the Strawberry Stroll and the Harvest Festival, and initiatives such as beautification, streetscape design, greenspace, alley murals, and sculpture projects. For more information go to www.franklindowntownpartnership.org.