High school class kicks off petunia planting

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DIXON -- Petunias are not the only things that need sunlight to grow. As part of a life skills learning course, students from Sue Buckley's special education class at Dixon High School walked downtown Tuesday to get an early start on the yearly petunia planting. Cool winds off the Rock River made the air a bit chilly on an otherwise pleasant afternoon. Still, Buckley said she was glad the weather allowed the students to help beautify the downtown in preparation for this summer's Petunia Festival. "It's just nice to have them work on planting this year, because it helps them become part of the community and helps them get involved." In years past, Buckley's class planted along Palmyra Road near the high school. This year, she decided to plant in barrels set up along the enclosed Bean Blossom parking lot on River Road, just west of Galena Avenue. Although her class got to lead the inaugural planting, Buckley and her students are far from the only volunteers who will be planting petunias this summer. The practice started in 1960 after a combination of construction and the Dutch elm disease left the roadsides along local highways barren. Now, the city, the Dixon Area Garden Club and Nichols' Flowers and Greenhouses work together to help the Petunia Capital of the World continue to live up to its name. Florist Terry Nichols said the tradition has had its ups and downs. The city has added precautions over the years, though, from explicit depths and spacing specifications to bigger pots, all to help the flowers better deal with rainwater. Nancy Varga is in charge of organizing the planting. She said she's thrilled to take part in such deep-rooted history. "Oh, my goodness, I can't remember a time when the petunias didn't line the streets, so I'm just glad we're helping keep that tradition alive." People from all over the city are invited to help with the planting, which officially begins the morning of Saturday, June 7. If heavy downpours occur, the planting will be moved to June 14. Reach Chase Castle at 815-284-2222 or 800-798-4085, ext. 521.