YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Troy Jones, 9, kneels on the ground, adding seeds to a flower pot.
He later joined his older brother, Trenton Jones, 13, and a few other children and their parents, planting flower seeds at Youngstown Botanical Gardens on West Indianola Avenue, on the city’s South Side.
The gardens are the work of Eric D. Jones, Troy and Trenton’s father. Jones’ father, Ronnie, pitches in too. The dozens of multicolored tulips lining that section of Indianola show his handiwork.
Saturday, Jones and his family invited other families to join in the flower planting.
“This is just letting friends, family be a part of the seeding process of it,” he said.
“Is this like a park?” asked Dominic Schiavoni, 10, of Boardman. He attended the seeding with his brother, Louie, 12, and their parents, Margaret and Judge Joe Schiavoni of Mahoning County Area Court.
Jones answered: “More so a community garden.”
“I like it,” Dominic said, adding that he wants to come back.
Jones hopes all of the participants return to watch how the flowers grow. When he started the gardens in 2010, he planted trees. His oldest son was 4 then, and those trees are taller than he is.
“They come to Youngstown and say, ‘Hey, I put some seeds down here,’” Jones said. “And I’ll run into [Dominic] again at maybe 16, 17 years old. That’s how it will happen.”
At their peak, the gardens draw in travelers along West Indianola and others who make a trip from surrounding communities specifically to see the flowers.
“It appeals to anyone,” Jones said. “We get families. We get people that come from Boardman, Poland. People make the drive, and they just want to stop.”
Each spring, multicolored blooms and greenery fill the space. On Saturday, families braved the rain and chilly temperatures to plant pansies, columbine, hollyhocks, zinnias, phlox, baby’s breath, shasta daisies and sunflowers.
Trenton and Troy hosted the event, organized by their father and mother, Tanji.
“I hope they get good memories and experience and maybe some knowledge even about the flowers and also the beauty of the flowers – so they come back to see them,” Trenton said.
He said it’s inspiring to see how the gardens came together over time.
Troy started helping his father at the gardens when he was 4.
“I just like playing around and planting flowers and spraying my brother,” he said, grinning.
Troy enjoys seeing the seeds he plants sprout and bloom.
“It’s beautiful and pretty to watch them grow,” he said.
Jones said Saturday was about young people.
“The main thing is getting the youth involved, and that’s what we accomplished,” he said.
Pictured at top: Trenton T, Jones, 13; Dominic Schiavoni, 10; and Eric Jones.