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Photo credits: Modesto Bee
One business owner questioned why the Modesto Gardening Club was planting and watering downtown Friday, a day when outdoor watering was not allowed.
Flower planting in downtown Modesto draws harsh criticism
By Kevin Valine
Friday was the first day of Stage 2 drought restrictions in Modesto, which further restrict the days and times of outdoor watering and increase fines for violations to $500.
But residents don’t have to worry about fines just yet. The city is launching a public information campaign — through newspapers, TV and radio ads, mailings to water customers and information on utility bills — to publicize the restrictions. The city will begin searching in earnest for violators within a few weeks.
But that doesn’t mean the restrictions haven’t caused concern. One business owner questioned why the Modesto Gardening Club was planting and watering flowers downtown on Friday, a day when outdoor watering is not allowed. The club works with the Downtown Improvement District on the beautification project, and the city provides the water. The project included 247 large planters provided by the Downtown Improvement District. The planters also contained shrubs.
“The city should be under the same restrictions as us,” said the business owner, who asked not to be named. “Now is not the time to plant. It makes me sick to my stomach to see all these flowering plants that need watering. … I just think the timing is terrible, not on a day where we have the most severe restrictions in place and more are coming.”
Gardening club members watered their plants with water from used plastic jugs. Stage 2 restrictions prohibited outdoor watering on Friday. Club members expected to finish planting on Saturday.
Dan Yawkey, president of the garden club, acknowledged the watering neglect but added that the club is sensitive to the drought. “The garden club fully recognizes that we are in a drought and what is going on,” he said. “We are trying to protect things that have taken years to grow.”
He said club members are planting drought-tolerant flowers, that city water trucks will water the site once a week (up from twice a week last year) and that non-potable water will be used. California has required towns to reduce their drinking water use by 25% from 2013 levels.
The gardening club has stopped watering the back lawn of its downtown office and will lay down mulch in the front yard instead of the garden it plants each spring. The club is experimenting with growing succulents in three pots, watering them every two weeks, Yorkey said.
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