Gardener's volunteer work a blooming success

Keeping up a flower bed takes more time and effort than some are willing to give, but Truman Smith of Cape Girardeau doesn't mind.

"I grew up on a farm, and my mother taught me to love flowers," he said.

The result of his mother's lessons can be seen in the colorful flowerbeds at Central Junior High and Jefferson and Alma Schrader elementary schools.

Smith started his landscaping projects when his wife "volunteered" him to help with the abandoned flower beds at Jefferson, where she taught first grade.

"Interest in projects like this comes and goes," Smith said. "One year you get a group of parents who are really involved and the next year you don't."

Smith has grandchildren at Alma Schrader and the junior high, so he decided to spruce those areas up as well. He is especially proud of the courtyard at Schrader, which holds flowers, pumpkins, gourds and popcorn. Students will get to help pick and shell the corn, which will then be dried and popped as a special treat.

"One of the teachers said she needed a gourd, so I planted some and they just took off," he said.

The plants at Schrader are loaded with gourds which Smith plans to turn into birdhouses with the help of the students. Many of the plants didn't cost a penny because Smith uses new seedlings and moves them from school to school to help fill the beds.

"People told me this wouldn't work when I first started," he said. They were afraid the students would damage the flowers. But Smith said it is rare a flower is ever damaged, "and then it usually isn't by a student."

Before long, teachers were hearing students refer to Smith's efforts as "our flower gardens."

Smith puts in 25 to 30 hours a week tending to the flower beds and helping out at the high school with the baseball field. He also works with students in the reading program at Jefferson.

"There's plenty to do for anyone that wants to volunteer," he said.

To learn where help is needed, Smith said, call one of the schools.