Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Hangs Flowers, Places Planters On Pittsburgh’s Downtown Streets

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  June 26, 2007).  The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) placed 400 live floral hanging baskets throughout downtown Pittsburgh this season. New this year are large planter boxes containing a colorful assortment of flowers and shrubs that include:

• Torenia
• Penunia Wave Pink Hybrid
• Petunia Wave Lavender Hybrid
• Ipomoena Margarita
• Million Bells
• Arborvitae

Six of the three-foot-diameter planters presently grace the area near the stage at Market Square. Nine additional  large planters will be placed there on Wednesday, June 27. Working with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, WPC has designed, planted and documented this pilot project for revitalizing Market Square.

In downtown Pittsburgh, WPC has 400 new baskets, making a bold color statement and enhancing the environment that attracts and cultivates businesses, customers and employees. Baskets are visible along Forbes Avenue, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue Place, Market Square, PPG, PNC First Side (Grant Street) and the South Side PAT “T” Station. In addition, baskets are outside of Point State Park, all along Grant Street from the Boulevard of the Allies to Liberty Avenue. Baskets line 6th and 7th Streets, extending across the Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol Bridges. Flowers in the hanging baskets include:

• Osteospermum
• Penunia Wave Pink Hybrid
• Petunia Wave Lavender Hybrid
• Ipomoena Margarita
• Million Bells

in moss-lined baskets.

Funding for the WPC’s hanging flower baskets has been provided by the Laurel Foundation and several downtown corporations including Grubb & Ellis, Jenkins Empire Associates and PNC First Side.

Since 1982, WPC has established community greening initiatives in 19 western Pennsylvania counties through its Community Gardens program.  The Community Gardens program involves more than 4,000 adults, teens and children as volunteer gardeners each year.

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Click on the images below for higher resolution photos.

Hanging baskets at Market Square

Placing and populating the planters at Market Square

                                                               
About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
Since its founding in 1932, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has protected more than 212,000 acres of natural lands in Pennsylvania, restored watersheds and saved natural habitats for a diversity of life and uses.  The Conservancy has been responsible for the founding of six state parks, including Ohiopyle, Laurel Ridge, McConnell’s Mill, Moraine, Oil Creek and Erie Bluffs.  In addition, WPC created the 300-acre Wildflower Reserve at Raccoon Creek State Park, and added land to Blue Knob State Park.

The WPC also preserves Fallingwater®, the masterpiece home designed in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright for Edgar J. Kaufmann in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.  In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann jr. (sic) entrusted Fallingwater to the Conservancy.  Today, WPC continues its award winning preservation efforts and offers a wide variety of educational programs to more than 135,000 annual visitors.  The preservation of Fallingwater is a symbol of living in harmony with nature. 

Each year, WPC also partners with 4,000 volunteers and dozens of community organizations and businesses to plant and maintain more than 140 gardens and greening projects in 19 western Pennsylvania counties.

High resolution photographs are available upon request.