For more than a decade, Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful has been distributing flower bulbs donated by several companies. This year, Indiana-based Gardens Alive! donated thousands  of  bulbs from its overstock to help beautify several North Carolina communities.

“It’s at least 400,000, perhaps even as high as 500,000 flower bulbs. They are predominately daffodils and tulips but there’s also a mix of allium, and crocus. Many of them have already germinated and are ready to go into the ground,” says George Stilphen, Executive Director of Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful.

The flower bulbs are given to community groups in the Triad, as well as Keep America Beautiful affiliates across the state. Anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000  bulbs will be planted in the Triad alone.

Stilphen says the donation will help many community organizations who can’t afford to buy them. The only requirement is that the bulbs must be planted in public places, including schools, parks, entrances to communities or along roadways.

“Beautifying the community makes it a better place to live and work and it also helps improve the economy, it helps reduce crime, it helps with a lot of things including people taking pride in their communities,” says Stilphen.

The flower bulbs are available on a first come first serve basis. They can be picked up at the city’s maintenance yard at 650 Rams Drive in Winston-Salem.