Downtown Anacortes is in full bloom—and it’s all thanks to an incredible team effort! With the last hanging basket now in place, we’re excited to share that the 2025 downtown spring planting is complete, bringing vibrant color and joy to our community for the whole summer season.
Over four work days, 35 volunteers came together to transform our downtown planters and hang the spectacular baskets. We started by clearing out the old plants and refreshing the soil. Then we enriched the planters with compost, carefully placed this year’s stunning selection of flowers, and finally hoisted the beautiful hanging baskets into place.
This year’s planters are full of vibrant life, featuring a mix of sun-loving and shade-friendly plants. Highlights include:
- Canna lilies, with bold foliage and fiery orange or red blooms, bringing dramatic flair to our sunny planters.
- Phormium, Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister’, and Fatsia ‘Spiders Web’ standing tall as elegant centerpieces.
- Heliotrope ‘Fragrant Delight’, Coleus ‘Campfire’, Geraniums, and Begonia ‘Red Wings’ adding lush filler in brilliant colors.
- Spillers like Calibrachoa, Ivy variegata, Helichrysum ‘Limelight’, and Lotus vine flowing over the edges for that perfect downtown charm.
This project wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible leadership of Mariah Haney, Carole Star, Annie Reis, and, Sally Arant who coordinated logistics, inspired volunteers, and made sure every planter was picture-perfect.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our project partners:
- City of Anacortes Parks Department, for hanging the baskets and watering both the baskets and planters daily all summer long.
- City of Anacortes, for providing essential funding to make the hanging baskets possible.
- Channel View Farms, for growing the stunning hanging baskets that now brighten our streets.
- ACE Hardware and their garden staff, for expert planter design support and generous plant discounts.
- Anacortes Rotary Club, whose financial support and focus on pollinator-friendly planting helped turn our downtown into a colorful corridor for bees and butterflies.
And of course—thank you to every single volunteer who dug, planted, lifted, watered, and cheered us on. Your energy and generosity are what make downtown Anacortes so special.
Want to get involved? Whether you’d like to volunteer, contribute, or learn more about how we keep Anacortes blooming, visit our Downtown Beautification page:
See you downtown!
