LANSING, Mich. — The annual Spring Planting Event at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing is bringing together community members to beautify the grounds with colorful flowers and plants.
• The annual Spring Planting Event has been a Michigan state capitol tradition for 30 years
• Volunteers work together to create colorful floral displays that beautify the government grounds
• Watch below to see how this community event transforms the capitol landscape
Watch: Michigan's 30-year Capitol planting tradition brings community together in Lansing
"This has been happening for 30 years, and it's something that we always look forward to," said Barb Thumudo, the Assistant Director for Capital Facilities.
Thumudo has been working at the state capitol for 20 years. She plans and selects the patterns for the plants well in advance of the community planting day.
"We pre-planted with our staff the day before so yesterday about 12 of us came out and we laid the pattern, and we put in color-coded straws to represent the different types of plants we're putting in today," Thumudo said.
I found that Thumudo has been encouraging neighbors to visit the Capitol to see the floral patterns. She believes gardening is not only therapeutic but also brings people together.
"When people see beautiful flowers, it makes them feel better. It inspires other people to step up their game and maybe plant something. A hanging basket or a pot of flowers on your porch, that little thing can make a big difference," Thumudo said.
Many volunteers have participated in the planting event over the years. Volunteer Ione Berg particularly appreciates the sense of community the project creates.
"How well the community comes together to make this all happen, and it's something people look forward to every year to come out here and do this. Rain or shine doesn't matter; we want to see the capital looking beautiful," Berg said.
Thumudo hopes the event helps residents feel connected to their government buildings.
"We hope that people appreciate the plants, that they feel proud of their state Capitol, and we encourage people to come visit and realize that it's not just a government building, it's the people's building," Thumudo said.
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