Ongoing Initiatives
Downtown Planters
Sponsored flower barrels and seasonal plantings along Main Street in Rochester NH, planted and tended by volunteers spring through fall.
The flower barrels along Main Street are one of the most visible signs that someone cares about this downtown. Volunteers plant and tend them from spring through fall, and local businesses sponsor individual barrels to keep the program growing.
What the program covers
The barrels are the headline, but the same volunteer effort handles the seasonal plantings around Central Square and the downtown streetscape: petunias in summer, mums and ornamental kale as the weather turns, and a coordinated look that makes the whole district photograph well.
We’re also exploring the next round, including additional flower pots at more corners of the district. Every new barrel or pot is another spot of color that slows people down, and a slower pedestrian is a customer for the storefront in front of them.
Sponsor a barrel
Want your name on a barrel? Sponsoring a planter is one of the simplest ways to support downtown beautification, and it’s a gift customers see all season. Send us a note and we’ll set you up, or see the sponsor page for how businesses already partner with us.
If you’d rather give time than money, spring planting days are announced on the volunteer page, and no experience is required.
Downtown Planters: your questions answered
How do I sponsor a flower barrel in downtown Rochester?
Send a note through the contact page and we'll match you to a barrel. Sponsors keep the program growing and get their name on a barrel that thousands of people walk past every month.
Who plants and tends the barrels?
Volunteers, organized through the Design Committee, from spring planting through fall pull-out. It's one of the easiest first volunteer jobs we have, and one of the most visible.
More ongoing initiatives
Riverwalk Planting Beds
Pollinator and ornamental gardens along the Cocheco Riverwalk in Rochester NH, planted and maintained with the Lilac City Gardeners.
Downtown Seating
Benches and bistro tables along the Cocheco Riverwalk and downtown sidewalks make Rochester NH a place to sit, read, and stay a while.
Dog Waste Stations
Free pickup bags at dog waste stations across downtown Rochester NH keep the sidewalks and Riverwalk clean and dog-friendly.
