Uptown Hanging Basket Sweet Potatoes

A surprise from below: an inedible ornamental sweet potato, found during the dismantling of a hanging basket.

Uptown’s Hanging Baskets Come Down After a Season of Color and Change

The summer’s color is fading — not all at once, but basket by basket.

Westerville city crews began on Thursday the seasonal removal of the hanging flower baskets that have lined Uptown’s streets since late spring. Loaded with white begonias, sweet potato vines, and fading petunias, the oversized arrangements were carefully lifted down and stacked into the back of city trucks, a visible sign that summer is over.

A Westerville city crew member removes one of Uptown’s hanging baskets as part of the seasonal cleanup.

While past seasons focused heavily on petunias, this year’s baskets marked a shift. A more diverse mix of plants was used in each container, aiming for better visual texture and fewer issues with pests and disease.

“We were pretty pleased with the results,” said Matt Ulrey, Westerville Parks & Facilities Superintendent. “While it can be hard to match the wow factor of a full and lush hanging basket of petunias, I think this year’s blends were still quite nice and offered some aesthetic variety.”

Ulrey noted that the plant diversity helped reduce problems like mildew and insect damage, which petunias are especially prone to in humid weather.

For some onlookers, the biggest surprise came not from above, but from below.

Among the tangled roots of the sweet potato vines, a bright magenta tuber grew firm and heart-shaped. The inedible root, a byproduct of ornamental planting, drew attention as it was pulled from the soil by gloved hands.

The root mass from a removed hanging basket shows the pattern of planting holes around the container’s sides, where flowers and vines once spilled out.

The city hasn’t finalized designs for next year, but Ulrey said the plan is to keep the mixed approach and build on what worked.

Until then, all that remains are a few scattered petals and damp outlines on the sidewalk, reminders of a summer that bloomed bold and ended quietly.

All that’s left: petals and dirt mark the spot where a basket hung just hours earlier.

Otterbein Color Guard members rehearse with red, black, and white flags in sync, preparing for their performance in the Homecoming parade and game day festivities.

Otterbein Color Guard Sharpens Routine Ahead of Homecoming Festivities

With Homecoming weekend just around the corner, the Otterbein University Color Guard is hard at work preparing for one of the most spirited events of the season. The team was spotted Thursday afternoon rehearsing at the Alum Creek Park Amphitheater, located just adjacent to campus, where they’ve been fine-tuning their routine for Saturday’s big events.

The Color Guard will perform during the annual Otterbein Homecoming Parade, which steps off at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the school on West Main Street. The parade features the university’s marching band, student organizations, alumni groups, and community partners. Later in the day, the Color Guard will also take the field during the Homecoming football game at Memorial Stadium.

A member of the Otterbein University Color Guard smiles during a practice at Alum Creek Park Amphitheater as rifles fly through the air — part of the team’s routine for Saturday’s Homecoming parade and football game.

The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.

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