Lilac Planting Project
Envision the main artery of Golden Valley—Hwy 55, or Olson Memorial Highway— as a lilac-lined thoroughfare.
4th Annual Planting
October 1, 2011
8:30–9 am: Registration
9 am–1 pm: Planting
1–2 pm: Celebration Lunch
Golden Valley’s Envision Connection Project Bridge Builders has teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Community Roadside Landscaping Partnership Program and the City of Golden Valley to implement a vision of lilacs, shrubs, and flowers along the sides of Hwy 55 through Golden Valley.
For three years citizen volunteers have come together to plant lilacs in the right-of-way of Hwy 55. The vision of the Lilac Project is to continue until the expanse from Wirth Parkway to Hwy 169 is planted.
How does the Lilac Project happen?
MnDOT develops a landscape plan and pays for the plants. The City of Golden Valley secures the plants and prepares the ground for planting. Volunteers gather on the designated planting day and plant. Although the focus is on lilacs, trees and flowers are also included in the planting palette for variety and interest throughout the year. The planting occurs on a Saturday morning for about four to five hours, followed by a picnic celebration with fellow planters.
How can I be involved?
Volunteering to help with planting each year, is an obvious need, but there are many other ways to help:
Lilac Project Committee
A core group of citizens work throughout the year to plan this event. They work with MnDOT to identify the planting area, organize the celebration, solicit and welcome volunteers, seek sponsors, work with adjacent landowners on the planning, and help assure the plants will thrive over time.
Lilac Project Committee members include Dwight Townes (Chair), Kathy Julius, Linda Loomis, Philip Lund, Margaret MacNeale, Jan Olfe, Sharon Soike, Blair Tremere, Cathy Waldhauser.
Adjacent Land Owners
If you own property along the highway you may be thrilled to see the beauty created by the Lilac Project in your own backyard. You can help in many ways, including identifying areas for planting, joining in the planting activities, watering the plants to help them thrive, and doing other maintenance such as fall mulching. Often staging areas are needed for volunteers on planting day, including parking, a registration area, and bathroom facilities.
Sponsors
Although MnDOT supplies the plants for the Lilac Project, which is the major expense, other items are needed to make it successful. These include cash donations to cover the cost of a tiller and refreshments as well as in-kind food donations for the celebration.
2010 Contributors – Cash and In-Kind
- State of Minnesota - MnDOT
- Ruth Thorness Lilac Memorial
- WSB
- Best & Flanagan
- Caribou Coffee
- Byerly's
- General Mills
- National Camera
- Blair & Linda Tremere
- C. Dwight Townes
- Brookview Golf Course
- City of Golden Valley
- Central Bank – Golden Valley
- Marshfield Tanick & Cohen, PA
Maintenance Volunteers
A core group of volunteers is needed to help the plants thrive over time. Activities include weeding and surveying the plants in the spring and weeding and adding mulch to planting areas in the fall. This work can be managed by working just a couple of weekends a year.
Planting Volunteers
Each year many volunteers have come forward and enjoyed planting and celebrating. You can help by gathering neighbors, church members, co-workers, and members of a club or team to join you in planting.
2010 Welcome Center
- Jan Olfe
- Sharon Soike
2010 Volunteer Groups
- Hennepin County Master Gardeners
- Tree Care Advisors
- Golden Valley Friends and Neighbors
- Winnetka Heights Neighbors
- Calvary Lutheran Church
- Golden Valley Lutheran Church
- Benilde- St. Margaret School
- Golden Valley Bridge Builders
- Daffodil Society of Minnesota
2010 Team Leaders
- Stephanie Brady
- Gary Cohen
- John Cushen
- Mary Cushen
- Doc Czypinski
- Jerry Frevel
- Barbara Gasterland
- Gordon Hanson
- Gary Johnson
- KathyJulius
- Marcus Larson
- Philip Lund
- Margaret Macneale
- Cathy Waldhauser
"Lovely Lilacs" photo by Amy Andress
