Photos: Stop and smell the flowers: Downtown Penticton bursting with blooms

There are more than 160 hanging baskets in downtown Penticton with the majority of them on Main Street as seen here by Gyro Park. (Monique Tamminga Western News)

Double baskets hang on the light standard beside Ogo’s ice cream in the 100 block of Main Street. (Monique Tamminga Western News)

More baskets.

Hanging baskets along Lakeshore Drive. (Monique Tamminga Western News)

Rows of blooms along Lakeshore with the Ironman signs. (Monique Tamminga)

Sometimes there are beautiful things all around us, we’re just too busy to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

It took an out-of-town visitor to remind me about how beautiful the hanging baskets are all over downtown Penticton and Lakeshore.

We were walking the Saturday Market along Main Street when they stopped to admire the huge blooms that cascade from the baskets above.

They were in awe of the massive blooms that burst into frame with purples, whites, reds and yellows.

There are 160 hanging flower baskets across the downtown and lake area, with the most on Main Street, some with double baskets like at Nanaimo Square and Gyro Park. There are blooming baskets on Martin Street and Westminster too.

The baskets are filled with petunias and tomato vines.

Danielle Auger, the city’s horticulturist designs and chooses the flower selection for all of the hanging baskets. They are watered daily and fertilized bi-weekly to keep them looking bright and beautiful.

“It’s great to hear people appreciate them as much as we do and city staff does a great job maintaining them to that standard,” said Ysabel Contreras, city parks technician.