H-Shaped Planters Adorn City Parks

The City of Hyattsville is defining itself with re-purposed H-shaped planter boxes situated around the city.

The boxes, which are now located at various parks around town, were a gift from an H-Street project via DC Greenworks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing livable communities using living materials, which helped develop the project.

"We thought they'd be quite fitting here considering they're Hs," said Jim Chandler, Hyattsville's community development manager. "[The project is] in the mentality of going green and using sustainable wood and art."

The planters are made of wood and will eventually be painted and filled with plants, Chandler said.

In 2009 the Washington, D.C. Mayor's Green Summer Job Corps developed and built 40 H-shaped planter boxes.  The planter boxes were placed along the H Street N.E. corridor during a construction project. With construction on H Street nearing an end, it was time for the letters to find a new home.

Hyattsville Volunteer Coordinator Colleen Aistis was instrumental in getting the planters to Hyattsville.

"In November, we saw the planters on H Street and I wanted them," she said. "I had even talked to volunteers about replicating the design but I could not go through with it without the blessings of DC Greenworks. This is their design [and] concept."

Late last month Aistis contacted Peter Ensign from DC Greenworks to ask about getting some of the planters for Hyattsville. 

"He saw my vision and was equally enthusiastic to get the project going," she said.

On Aug. 16, City Year volunteers – who have a long history working with Hyattsville – met on H Street to move the Hs. Representatives from DC Greenworks were on hand to provide an overview of their original project. They demonstrated how to clean out the planters and safely remove them from their tree boxes, load them onto a hand truck and move them off to Hyattsville. 

Missionaries from the Jesus Christ Church of the Latter Day Saints in Hyattsville traveled throughout the city with staff to unload the planters and set them at their current homes.

Twelve Hs are now in Hyattsville's parks, including Centennial Park, Magruder Park, Heurich Park, Hyatt Park, Robert J. King Memorial Park and the University Hills Duck Pond.

"It's kind of cool and funky and way different," Chandler said.