APPLETON (WLUK) — Babs and Michael Smith have been planting Apple Blossoms along the Apple Creek Trail for years.
“We started just by planting three to five trees a year in the city park, but we didn’t think that was making what we really wanted to accomplish,” Babs said. “We decided we were going to up our game and we started planting, donating and planting 50 trees a year.”
The Apple Blossom journey began when the Smiths made a trip to Washington D.C. to see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom, and they wanted to bring it home.
“We want to make it a destination,” Michael told us. “At some point, I hope we live long enough or they grow long enough to be a visitor thing to do. Come to Appleton, come to the Fox Cities. Hey by the way, we have these miles of trees that are in bloom. You can go to D.C., or you can go to Appleton.”
Currently, over a mile of the trail has been lined with 200 apple blossoms. Babs Smith said that’s far from their goal of lining the entire five mile trail, and that they plan to keep it going for years to come.
“The community foundation fund will maintain the trees forever and ever, and will help maintain the trees forever and ever, and will help replace trees when we’re gone. So the trees will keep going,” she said.
City of Appleton employees and leaders out in force helping plant some of those trees.
That included Mayor Jake Woodford, who was using a post pounder to make sure the blossoms grow their roots.
“Every year, Mike and Babs come up with new ideas and they’ve got more trees they want to plant, so we’ve got a city crew out here that’s helping with some of the pre-digging, and keeping things moving, making sure that everyone is working safe,” Woodford said. “Lot of volunteer horse-power today.”
The Smiths ultimate goal? To make Appleton the Apple Blossom City.
A new addition this year is the Apple Blossom Festival, which includes events over the weekend.
Saturday, May 10th, 10:00 AM at 3300 E. Evergreen Drive, Appleton – Blooms, Birds, and Butterflies! “I Spy” game for families with a free gift. Sunday, May 11th, 1:00 PM at 3300 E. Evergreen Drive, Appleton – A Flower for Mom. Free Flower Brooch Pin for moms walking or biking the Apple Creek Trail.