responsibility over three pots by City Hall. Their pots also include vegetables, which make them different than any others in the downtown area. “These kids can feel good that they helped plant them,” said Schneider. For all the pots assigned to the various groups, such as DeKalb High School, Kishwaukee College, and the DeKalb Community Gardens, you will see the group’s logo on the pots for which they are responsible. The City has twenty-four hanging planters in the downtown area that they pay Yaeger’s to plant. As with Kishwaukee college, Yeager’s starts growing their flowers in March and the city workers pick them up in May and hang them. Schneider also buys about half of her plants from Derby Line Greenhouse in Genoa, because they are relatively inexpensive. Finally, at the end of the year, the Garden Center at Walmart donates their leftover perennials that also get planted in the CBD area. One idea that Schneider hopes to implement in the future is having flower beds sponsored by businesses. Lauren Woods, owner of Cracker Jax, is one of several downtown business owners who have expressed their gratitude for the city’s flower pots. “I think they’re so beautiful. They’re works of art. I even put pictures of them up on Instagram, showing people how beautiful our downtown is,” said Woods, “It says that downtown is cared for.”
13 | June 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE
DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2017 | 13