Golden Valley Brings Lilacs Back to the City

This fall will mark the 5th year that the City of Golden Valley has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to beautify the roadways near Highways 55 and 169.

Through the Golden Valley Lilac Planting Project, volunteers can help plant lilacs, day lilies, trees and perennials. This year's event will be held on Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

City Volunteer Coordinator Sandy Werts said that she hopes to see 50 or 60 volunteers come out for the event. Even though last year's planting efforts only took a few hours, planning for the Lilac Planting Project is extensive.

After the City Council approves the project, which occurred on Sept. 4, the City partners with the MnDOT through their Community Roadside Landscape Partnership Program.

"We work with an MnDOT landscape architect who helps us determine what the planting area will be," Werts said. "The city orders the plants, and MnDOT pays for them."

Why Lilacs?

"The idea for planting lilacs came from Dwight Townes, who is one of our Bridge Builders," Werts said. "At one time, Highway 100 was actually called Lilac Drive, so that's why we're planting lilacs again."

According to a video produced by Twin Cities Public Television, in 1933, Arthur Nichols was hired as the Highway 100 landscape architect. Nichols' interest in flowers and highways allowed him to easily partner with the original Golden Valley Garden Club in the 1930s to begin planting lilacs.

Leone Johnson, who is a current member of the Golden Valley Historical Society and Garden Club, said that initially Garden Club members sold plants in order to fund the planting of lilacs along the highway.

"The City also had a lilac festival in 1939," Johnson said. "They closed off Highway 100 for a parade from Glenwood Avenue to Golden Valley Road." In addition to the festival, Johnson said the City had a lilac ball in Theodore Wirth Park where they crowned a lilac queen to represent Golden Valley in the Minneapolis Aquatennial celebration.

"When highway 100 was totally redone a few years ago, people were kind of upset and afraid the lilacs were going to go away," Johnson said. "So now that’s why they’re planting every year"

On Sept. 22, the Golden Valley Garden Club will honor its roots and host a free lunch after the City's lilac planting event.

If you want to volunteer to plant lilacs, email Sandy Werts at swerts@goldenvalleymn.gov. No prior planting experience is necessary.