Dear Editor,

My letter is in reference to the June 5, 2026 article, “Postings in the Park,” written by Pat Tingle. Pat asked for suggestions on how to improve the “dismal” appearance of the park gardens. I worked at Firestone Park for four-and-a-third years. Because I took ownership of my designated gardens, they received my excellent care. Often the work load was overwhelming; however, it was a privilege being surrounded by all the beauty in the Firestone “Flower” Park – that was my name for the gardens.

My boss, Keith Kaiser, resigned mid-May 2025. After he resigned, Pat and Skip McCullough asked me to continue working in the gardens, but at 20% reduction in pay which was unacceptable to me.

Below are my suggestions how to clean up the gardens and keep them in good shape:

— Hire four, five or even six part-time gardeners who are competent, dedicated, honest, and above all, self-motivated with a strong work ethic. Having more gardeners reduces the stress of having too much to do. Skip said that he had assembled several good gardeners, which leads to my next suggestion.

— Each gardener picks out her/his designated garden or gardens that she/he would like to take care of. This is a critical point; it is a matter of assuming responsibility and being proud of work completed. The work is listed here: weed (pull out weeds, don’t spray them); water, if necessary; weed; dead head; weed; cut back; weed; etc.

— Each gardener decides whether to work alone, or with a co-worker, or with a possible volunteer. Initially, it may take a small army to clean up the gardens.

— Here is another major point. Each gardener decides her/his own hours to work. The thing that I liked the best when working at the park, I chose my own hours. On hot days, I arrived around 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning and left around 10:00 AM. Keith trusted that I would do my work; he didn’t hover over or tether me. We had good communication.

— Each gardener submits her/his bill every two or four weeks. I kept a record of my days worked, the location, times, and then texted my bill to Keith, and was promptly paid.

— In the fall, each gardener cleans up her/his area by cutting back and weeding, and in the spring start weeding!

— Once the gardens are weeded and cleaned up, have them mulched by John Hipley and crew, where the workers get down on their knees and spread the mulch under and around the plants – not blow the mulch on top of the plants. Mulch has many benefits: suppresses weeds; looks good; helps the soil retain moisture; keeps the soil at a more even temperature; and keeps water (rain or watering) from splashing onto the plants. It’s best to put down mulch in the spring or fall, however it can be done anytime.

— Do what is right for the plant.

I hope my suggestions are helpful. It does not matter how much money is spent on design, implementation of design (trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs), or supervision, if the gardens are not well maintained, it is all for naught.

Julia Fuhrman Davis

Columbiana