Bicentennial Park had itself quite an Earth Day.

When the sun came up Thursday, the park’s main yard and rentalbuilding were dull and colorless, surrounded only by dirt, grassand gravel. When the sun went down, the area stood out, withfreshly mulched gardens and blooming pink azaleas.

For Bogue Chitto’s Jamie Gatlin, whose Growin’ Green Landscapedid the job for free as a service project, that’s one public placedown, one thousand to go.

“There’s always cemetery improvements, beautification work to bedone at schools, sitting areas that can be created. It’s a servicething,” he said. “When people see this, I hope they get associatedwith Brookhaven Beautiful and start a project to give back to thecommunity.”

Earth Day was also the PLANET (Professional Landcare Network)Day of Service, and that’s why Gatlin shouldered the expenses andsent his crew to the park for a day’s work.

Last year, as a member of the Landscape Contracting AdvisoryBoard at Hinds Community College, Gatlin participated in a projectto spruce up Mynelle Gardens in Jackson for the day of service. Theboard came calling for a similar project in 2010, but he decided tostay home.

“I got to thinking, why go out of our community when we can dosomething right here?” Gatlin said. “I just wanted to do somethingfor our community rather than taking our services out of ourcommunity. Hopefully, this will be ongoing, and next year we can dosomething else.”

Gatlin approached Brookhaven Beautiful to develop a project, andtogether they compiled a decent shortlist.

Growin’ Green Landscape could have livened up the sign for theold Brookhaven Industrial Park, but that job was too small. Thecompany could have tackled the area around the Wal-MartDistribution Center’s foundation sign, but without constant care,anything planted there would have likely died out during the heatof the summer. Brookhaven Beautiful is keeping that project on thelist for this fall.

Bicentennial Park needed a boost, and since it falls under theBrookhaven Recreation Department, the work there could betended.

Gatlin pulled the trigger Thursday, sending six employees on afive-hour job to set out 52 plants and a pair of trees at the site.Had it not been a volunteer operation, the landscaping job they didwould have cost more than $5,000, he said.

“It’s my city. It’s kind of like paying yourself,” he said.”Landscaping creates environments, it changes the whole appearanceof an area, changes the feeling and the feelings you get from beingin a nice garden. It instills pride in the community and makes anarea much more inviting.”

Brookhaven Recreation Department Director Terry Reid saidGrowin’ Green Landscape’s work at Bicentennial Park changed the”whole look of the place.” The service project was a big boon towhat is by nature a slow beautification process, he said.

“The building there is new and we just haven’t had the funds todo a lot,” Reid said. “You can’t just do it overnight. Everythingdone to the parks enhances the beauty and helps people feel more athome. They’re really coming together and looking nice.”

Brookhaven Beautiful member and Ward Four Alderman Shirley Estessaid Bicentennial Park was a great place to benefit from the PLANETDay of Service.

“That park has gotten very popular. You don’t drive by there inthe afternoon without seeing families there,” she said. “And withthe water feature starting off on May 1, the crowds will get evenbigger.”

Estes said Brookhaven Beautiful needs more volunteers andbackers to take on more projects around the city.

“When people are helping and contributing financially, thatalways helps us take on those projects,” she said. “When we partnerup with several groups, that gives us the energy to get itdone.”