Joplin South Middle School students help plant flowers downtown

While most students enjoy sleeping in on Saturday, a group of 8th grade students got their hands dirty as they completed a community project.

Student volunteers from Joplin’s South Middle School helped plant fall flowers in the planters along Main Street and in the downtown area.

Local greenhouse owner Albert Farris started the morning with the students to show them the proper way to plant the donated pansies.

The students split into teams of three. Flowers were planted along Main Street, from 8th Street to 1st Street, as well as west 5th and 6th Streets and a portion of Joplin Street.

There are approximately 55 planters in the downtown area.

“Flowers bring joy to the people, but it also reflects on us right here in our community,” Farris said. “There’s a lot of concrete and this helps break it up and creates a colorful view of downtown.”

The large flower planters were placed downtown in 2008 and are planted for spring and fall each year.