There are three community groups have been working on projects to beautify Kingston. The Kingston Revitalization Association has hung 120 flower baskets on all of the lampposts in town. The baskets, which are planted by David and Gail Halsaver of Foxglove Nursery, are watered daily by a group of volunteers. Watch for them as they travel around town on “the gator”.

The Downtown Kingston Association received an Aloha Wright grant from the Kingston Garden Club to enhance the planting strips along West Kingston Road. Topsoil was donated by Emu Topsoil and spread by McClain Landscaping. Then Savage Plants provided plants, rubus calycinoides ground cover, at cost. The rubus is a drought tolerant insect- and pest- resistant ornamental member of the raspberry family. Rubus is a vigorous grower that will need to be pruned eventually, and it is resistant to foot traffic. L & L Landscaping planted 28 flats of the rubus and volunteers from the Downtown Kingston Association are keeping the plants watered until the roots are established.

The third project is the redevelopment of the planting strip on West Kingston Road that runs from Snippers Barber shop to West First Street. Funded by the Kingston Stakeholders, and designed by landscape architect Laurie Larson of The Larson Casteel Company, the planting strips will create rain gardens that will block weeds while enhancing the landscape. The Washington Thorn trees that were previously planted in this area were removed. The Thorn trees are not a suitable street tree, since they grow thorns over an inch long, which can injure walkers and cyclists. Four native serviceberry trees, a more suitable street tree, were planted in the tree wells. The tree wells prevent tree roots from damaging the sidewalks. Soon pervious concrete will be poured in a wavelike design that weaves ribbons of concrete with river and beach rock cobblestone. The design was inspired by Kingston’s beaches and life by the water, but is a very sustainable solution to the many weeds that spring up in the planting strips around town.

The Stakeholders view this as a pilot project and hope to attract donors who will help fund the revamping of other planting strips in town. Anyone interested in working on any of these three projects, please contact the Chamber Office.