Here’s what it takes to make this city a bright spot in the Johnson County

People joke about “tract mansions” and “Johnson County beige,” which have come to symbolize the sometimes unwelcome uniformity of suburban Kansas City.

Roadways promote monotony, too. Four-lane thoroughfares are everywhere in Johnson County — punctuated by medians, turn lanes, fast-food joints and big box stores. “Where am I, again?” a motorist might ask.

Not so in Merriam, a short drive from Olathe, Overland Park or just about anywhere in JoCo.

If you drive very far into the city during the summer and early fall, you know exactly where you are.

The petunias tell you.

For 15 years, Merriam has hung baskets of colorful wave petunias in its commercial areas and other spots around town. Wave petunias are fuller than regular petunias and sprout branches that overflow their containers.

The baskets go up in mid-May, and each one holds 40 plants. This year’s colors are red, purple, white and pink.

“We do believe it’s a highlight for the city of Merriam, our residents and anyone who drives through our town,” city spokeswoman Jenna Gant said by email.

The tradition began in 2006, Gant said, as a way to beautify the downtown area after a revitalization project two years earlier. That year, the city hung 16 baskets on eight street light posts along a stretch of Merriam Drive.

Now public works employees plant 210 baskets each year for placement all around the city. To enhance the flowing look, staffers place some plants in holes on the side of the baskets. The flowers are watered daily, even on Saturday and Sunday.

Each April, Merriam hosts a workshop where people can make smaller versions of the pots to take home.

Experts say a “sense of place” can promote community cohesion. Now that the reusable baskets have been purchased, Merriam’s outlay for the effort comes to roughly $5,400 a year. That covers plants, soil and fertilizer, but not the staff time required for watering.

This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Here’s what it takes to make this city a bright spot in the Johnson County."