Radial employees plant flowers in uptown Martinsville.
MARTINSVILLE – “Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul,” American botanist Luther Burbank once said.
He would have gotten no argument from employees of Radial who volunteered to plant about 200 flowers and plants in uptown Martinsville on Saturday morning.
Tracy McKoy, director of Gateway Streetscape Foundation, said urban trees and sidewalk gardens help beautify the community; increase tourism, economic development and property values; increase oxygen that people breathe; among other benefits.
According to the website of Friends of the Urban Forest, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that plants and maintains trees and sidewalk gardens within that city, other benefits of street trees and sidewalk gardens include cleaning the air and reducing global warming; and reducing flooding and water pollution.
Trees and sidewalk gardens also promote exercise and may reduce crime, among other benefits.
The project was “a nice thing to do on a Saturday morning,” Pettie added.
It’s a little way to give back, not to mention it’s a good way to get a little exercise.” Close to a dozen Radial employees volunteered, and several brought their children or grandchildren with them — perhaps thinking of tomorrow.
Radial (formerly known as eBay) donated the flowers and plants that were planted in 68 planters and sidewalk gardens uptown on Main, Church and Fayette streets.
This is the second year Radial has done the project, McKoy said.