City nodes? maintenance in good hands

A team of handpicked volunteers, including Master Gardeners, has been charged with maintaining the city?s downtown garden nodes this summer.

?When the mayor appointed me [to the Fairfield Beautification Commission], I had concern about the nodes and upkeep,? said Karin Hauring, who offered to oversee their care and organize volunteer caretakers.

Park superintendent Pam Craff said an adopt-a-node program a couple years ago worked well one summer, but soon fizzled out. This year, Hauring has handpicked the volunteers and committed herself to filling in where needed.

?I became a Master Gardener last October and in order to get certified by Iowa State [University Extension], Master Gardeners have to do at least 20 hours of volunteer service,? Hauring said. She thought the nodes and other city gardens posed the perfect opportunity.

Already, two Master Gardeners have adopted several nodes each. Right now, Hauring said the gardeners also are doing volunteer planting around the house at the Maasdam Barns site, so their time is split. She anticipates more will help maintain the nodes once that work is done.

Hauring also mentioned a few businesses on the square have adopted care of the nodes in their immediate vicinity.

The city allocated $2,000 toward the replacement of node plants this summer.

?We lost a lot of arborvitaes variety because of the drought,? Hauring said. ?Evergreens have been hard hit all over town. Once they?re brown, they?re dead, so they have to be taken out.?

Craff said her department couldn?t keep up with the watering during last year?s dry summer and eventually had to focus on the most serious problem areas. She?s been surprised by what?s grown back this year.

The parks department has begun mulching the nodes in between other projects to help keep the weeds out and moisture in.

?Once it?s mulched, there?s not much work,? Hauring said. Still, ?it?s going to be an ongoing project.?

Weather permitting, Hauring hopes the dead plants can be removed in the next couple weeks. Then she?ll work with Oakwood Nursery to get the replacements planted.