Joy Maas, who is in charge of all the plants and flowers for the City of Abilene, said the roses in the Rose Garden were hit hardest.
“They’ll grow out of it,” Maas said working one hot afternoon in the garden in Eisenhower Park. “It will just take time.”
Maas said she was in the process of planting new flowers and plants when the storm hit.
“It will set us back a few days,” she said. “We were planting and now we have to clean up.”
Maas is in charge of all the flowers and plants at the three parks—Eisenhower, Little Ike and Bicentennial—the City Building, the Abilene Public Library, the Civic Center, the pool, the Community Center and both north and south welcome signs.
Abilene Parks and Recreation Commission director Jane Foltz said the dollar amount to fix the damaged plants has been minimal.
All of the plants are grown locally at the greenhouse located just south of the Ted Power Field in Eisenhower Park.
One afternoon Maas was transplanting hosta plants taken from the Senior Center and transplanted them to the Rose Garden.
“They are putting in a sidewalk,” she said. “We’re moving them over here so that we can keep them.”
She said this time of year the petunias look best.
“They look the best in Little Ike Park,” she said. “They like the heat and they don’t mind the drought.”
As for the other flowers and plants?
“We do a lot of watering when it’s this hot,” Maas said. The temperature reached 100 Monday and Tuesday of this week. “There’s always something more to do. We never catch up in the parks.”
Maas started working for the City of Abilene last fall but took over the job full time in February.
She said she hasn’t officially counted the plants but there are probably more than 4,000 flowers and plants. She said there are close to 100 rose plants.
Her advice for people that have a flower garden or want to start one is to give them lots of care.
“They need water and fertilizer,” she said. “Just have fun with it,” Maas said.
The Rose Garden is a popular place for pictures, weddings and special occasions. The Garden does have to be reserved for events, Foltz said, however, a $25 fee is charged only if electricity is used.
The Bicentennial Park is located just north of Abilene High School on Mulberry Street. Little Ike Park is located downtown Abilene around a statue of a young Dwight Eisenhower presented by the Abilene Kid’s Council.
Foltz said there was no charge for the use of the parks or shelters.
She advised, however, that a poster or sign be put up at the shelter stating the date and time of use to reserve the shelter.