FARMINGTON — Early morning on the first day of summer found a couple Farmington Public Works employees attaching new planters with flower arrangements to several decorative light posts on Main and Broadway.

The new planters, provided by the Farmington Downtown Association, reflect the work of one of its four committees, the Design Committee, said Town Manager Richard Davis. As part of the Downtown Maine Network, the association has four committees based on the national Main Street model’s Four Point approach to downtown revitalization, he said. The other committees include Organization, Economic Restructuring and Promotions.

“We want to make downtown more inviting for locals and visitors. A place where people can feel comfortable and enjoy our shops,” said Association President Michael Mansir.

The association contracted with Robin Harnden of Wilton to weld and paint the planter brackets. Flower arrangements were purchased from Robin’s Flower Pot in Farmington, Davis said.

Greg Soule and Wes Witherly of Farmington Public Works started working early to avoid parked vehicles. They mounted 20 flower brackets, but there are 20 more available, enough for 10 more poles, Soule said.

The association’s plan is to have flowers on all poles for next year. That plan took another step forward as Davis volunteered Monday to purchase two more plants for another pole, Mansir said.

The association voted to fund the project up to $2,100, but the brackets are a one-time cost, Mansir added.

The welded brackets — including bolts for mounting — cost $1,100 and the flowers cost $25 each for a total of $500, Davis said.

The plants sit about 10 feet above the sidewalk, some with an American flag flying near them, so per diem firefighters have been asked to water the plants a couple times a week with their truck-mounted pump and a hand-held nozzle, Davis said.

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