Community Collaboration Blooms in Hayesville: 50+ Plants Installed at Mayor’s Garden

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — Students, volunteers, and local partners rolled up their sleeves recently to transform the Mayor’s Garden in downtown Hayesville, planting more than 50 new plants in a hands-on project that combined education, environmental stewardship, and community pride.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension – Clay County Center, NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Clay County, the Town of Hayesville, and Hayesville High School’s agriculture class joined forces for the initiative. The effort went far beyond simply adding flowers and greenery to a public space. It provided high school students with valuable real-world gardening experience while helping beautify one of Hayesville’s downtown landmarks.

Under the guidance of Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, students learned essential practical skills, including how to properly prepare planting holes, amend the soil for better plant health, position plants correctly in the ground, and water them effectively to ensure strong establishment and long-term success.

Local landscaper Linda Milt carefully selected the plants for the garden. Choices were based on their overall value in the landscape, their ability to support pollinators and wildlife, and their suitability to Clay County’s specific growing conditions.

“This project was about more than planting flowers and greenery,” organizers noted. “It was an opportunity to give students hands-on experience with practical gardening skills while also working together to beautify a public space.”

The collaborative effort highlights the power of partnerships in creating meaningful learning opportunities while enhancing shared community spaces. Organizers expressed gratitude to all participants and voiced pride in seeing local students, volunteers, and community partners working side by side.

The newly planted Mayor’s Garden is expected to provide lasting beauty, ecological benefits, and a point of pride for the Town of Hayesville and all of Clay County.