Picture of Mayor Rusty Paul, Maidee Spencer, Mary Michael-Parks & Rec.,  Melissa Patterson, Carolyn Axt, Leadership Sandy Springs, Councilman Graham McDonald, Linda Bain-SS Conservancy, Ronnie Young-Parks & Rec.  Director standing with the finished daffodils.

Goal accomplished Feb 2015! Mayor Rusty Paul, Maidee Spencer, Mary Michael-Parks & Rec.,  Melissa Patterson, Carolyn Axt, Leadership Sandy Springs, Councilman Graham McDonald, Linda Bain-SS Conservancy, Ronnie Young-Parks & Rec.  Director

The Daffodil Mile

The purpose of the Daffodil Mile project was to plant a “mile” of daffodils in honor/memory of cancer patients along a new city park, Abernathy Greenway, on a very busy thoroughfare. In 2006 GDOT reported 2.1 million travelers drive the Abernathy corridor annually; 15,000 of these drivers plus all residents in SS District 3 pass by these blooms daily.

The goal was to beautify the edge of the park with a living legacy of daffodils. Daffodils were selected because they naturalize, re-bloom and deer and squirrels don’t eat them. Brent & Beck’s Bulbs recommended 5 varieties for this micro-climate: Fragrant Rose (Late season bloom), Saint Keverne (Early season bloom), Hillstar (Late season bloom), Martinette (Early-Mid season bloom), Quail (Mid season bloom). Funds raised from more than 100 donors: Home Owners’ Associations, Garden Clubs, and individuals to sponsor 20,000 daffodil bulbs.

A picture of the planting plan.

The club was able to plant a gorgeous yellow ribbon of bloom starting Feb. 2015 along the entire Abernathy Greenway Park, blooming perpetually thereafter!

A picture of the rows of daffodils.

SSGC members made 60 gifts totaling $10,342 (44% of all funds raised.) Over 3.5 years every Active member and most Associate and Honorary members participated in some way: SSGC members serving on the Daffodil Mile (DM) committee: Treasurer, Secretary, Correspondence Team, PR, Bulb Source and Planting, DM Chairman; 3 group meetings a year; meetings with Mayor, City Council, SS Conservancy; promoting DM at SS Heritage Market and twice at the two day SS Festival; grant proposal; speakers bureau; logistics for Champagne Tea at Glenridge Hall inviting 75 community leaders, organizing shuttle, flowers, set-up, clean-up.

A picture of the people who performed the work on the daffodil mile.

In Kind donors included: City Parks and Recreation Dept. drew landscape plan, recruited and managed Community Service Workers and other volunteers to prep beds, and sort and plant 15,000 bulbs on four bitterly cold planting days. Alex Smith Garden Design, LLC.  prepped and planted 5000 bulbs. Terry Waith and Jane Whiteman donated all postage, past Dogwood District Director, JoAnn Jones, drew the logo.