Expedia’s “Most Beautiful Towns in America Part 2,” published last month, touches on something instantly apparent to residents and visitors of Marietta alike – our community’s beauty runs deep. The Mid-Ohio Valley’s beauty comes from our natural surroundings and historic charm but it is not without hard work and maintenance.
The Marietta Community Foundation assists with efforts to enhance our area beauty whenever possible. With the first grant cycle this year, the Foundation was able to support two beautification initiatives that both have a huge impact on our area: the Marietta in Bloom project and the Marietta Main Street Downtown Beautification Project.
The volunteer effort Marietta in Bloom has been going strong for more than four years now. Their efforts have brought together countless volunteers who keep the program’s eight gardens and planting areas looking full and beautiful.
Flood waters earlier this year had a big impact on some of the downtown planting areas, including the Sacra Via walking garden. Topsoil was washed away and replaced with inches of river mud. In addition to standard ongoing maintenance, including mulching, weeding, and reseeding, the walking garden will need to be monitored throughout the remainder of the year to assess how many perennials may need to be replaced.