I think we can declare an early winner

Communities in Bloom launched its annual Pot Planting event today, with the KCBIA hosting the downtown portion. Disappointingly, several councillors were missing, including John DeCicco, with whom I’m supposed to be partnered (Daily News is a sponsor). I forgive him, as I understand he had important business to attend to out of town, and I understand he’s better at making wine than he is at tending flowers anyway.

Fortunately, Leah Wilk of the City’s parks department was there to make sure I arranged the various plants correctly and to explain which plants were which. Our pot is very colourful, I must say, and should have a good shot at taking home the prize.

I was reminded of the first year City council took part in the event. I stole some of then-coun. Peter Sharp’s plants and put them in my own pot, then replaced them with a very nice specimen of knapweed (I also presented one to the Communities in Bloom judges as a gift when they were in town). Sharp was so mad when he found the knapweed in his pot that he started ripping out the plants that were left and throwing them into a garbage bag.

I don’t think the rivalry is quite as strong now, though Mayor Milobar’s pot, next to the DeCicco-Rothenburger entry, has some sort of trellis thing that might score him some points. Strange things can happen in the pot competition, and it just might find its way into our pot instead.