Bright Spots on the Horizon--the Trail of Flowers

Trail of Flowers 

These days we're surrounded with the stress of the Corona virus, but even as all that unfolds, life goes on and spring will come. I figured I'd break you out of that gloomy place by reminding you of good people and daffodils.

Do you all know David Mark? He's one of them local do-gooders, he really is. You'll often see his tall, young-for-his-age figure walking into the downtown, cap on his head, goatee, glasses. You'd know him if you saw him.

He was one of the early volunteers working to establish the Rail Trail through Maynard. I remember years ago when he went out with other volunteers to begin clearing and marking stretches of the areas--putting down wood chips and moving granite curbs--long before the trails became what they are today.

I also heard that after the rail trail was complete, that David took it upon himself to put in trash barrels on the section by the Cumberland Farms and another by the footbridge. He even takes care of removing that trash himself. Yup, he's getting rid of all those little baggies of dog poop and other debris that he'd prefer to keep off the trail. He saw something that needed doing and he did it. It's kind of the way he is.

Volunteer planters.

I met David when he and his wife, Jeanne, moved to the area from New Jersey and joined the Maynard Community Gardeners. From that social circle I could get glimpses of the various projects he was involved with. If you're ever in the area of Maple and Brooks streets, you'll see some small garden areas (not Maplebrook Park, though he has helped a lot there, too) that he established, and more importantly, maintains. He has planted hundreds of tulips in that area in honor of his son, Daniel, and every spring they beautify that little corner of our small town.

So, it didn't surprise me when I heard back in 2018, that he wanted to create a trail of flowers to run along the Rail Trail. That fall he bought bulbs with some small donations, and headed out on a couple of fall days with volunteers that he gathered, and they proceeded to plant the first stretch of blooms by the site of the old Marble Farm. In May of 2019, that area delighted the eyes with a thousand bright daffodils. In 2019 he gathered more volunteers and donations, this time planting 2,000 bulbs between Maynard and Acton.

Only in Maynard mugs

Ever the ambitious community volunteer, David has started fundraising for the next plantings, hoping to double what was planted last year. If you like the idea of beautiful stretches of spring blooms, you can help and get something in return--you can stop into the Outdoor Store, Boston Bean House, or Sugar Snap and buy an "Only in Maynard" mug for $10--all profits will go to the Trail of Flowers. If you're not able to get to these establishments, David can make them available for purchase from his back porch.


Whatever the case, if you see David Mark around town, give him a little wave and a thumbs up. It's really easy to miss all the local citizens who are doing that little bit extra to make this town so special, so if you see something, let me know.

David Mark, himself.

David Mark is also the author of the the Beacon-Villager newspaper's column, Life Outdoors. Here's a link to a recent Life Outdoors blog post about the meaning of the "Only in Maynard" saying. The post digs into the origins of the phrase and expresses the differing opinions we Maynardites (Maynardians?) have of the saying.