The Downtown Partnership's popular petunia flower baskets will return throughout Downtown Davenport and the Mississippi riverfront Saturday, May 14.

More flower baskets will be displayed this year - 572, which grew from last year's number of 532. There will also be 116 ground planters bursting with the vibrant colored flora. The new baskets can be found surrounding the Hotel Blackhawk and a portion of 3rd Street between Ripley and Harrison Streets that was recently streetscaped.

According to Adam Holland, Director of Downtown Operations, the flowers are a mix of "Supertunias" that sweep over the top of the baskets as they grow. The wire baskets will be brimming with eye-popping violet, fuchsia, and "tequila sunrise" petunias, which will be in full bloom in June. The Green Thumbers, a local business and chamber member, supply the plants for the project.

Funded by downtown property owners in the Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), the baskets annually provide downtown Davenport with a fresh look in the spring and summer for its residents, visitors and employees to enjoy.

The Downtown Partnership, a division of Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, is a non-profit organization focused on the strategic growth and beautification of historic downtown Davenport. As administrators of the Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), the Downtown Partnership provides leadership and advocacy for downtown economic development, planning, cultural vitality, events, marketing, and clean-and-safe initiatives.

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