New Ulm has a lot of wonderful traditions — big ones, like Bavarian Blast and Oktoberfest, but also a lot of smaller ones that you might not notice until they are gone.

One of these nice, small traditions is the placing of flower planters in downtown New Ulm during the summer. Each year the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce has been paying for 128 hanging baskets, volunteers clean and plant the planters in downtown, and more volunteers keep the flowers watered and growing througout the summer.

This year, however, the Chamber of Commerce, which has suffered losses under COVID-19 like everyone else, has had to tighten its budget. It costs $7,000 to purchase and place flowers, the chamber said, and it is asking businesses and individuals to donate to fund the flowers.

People who appreciate the flowers downtown are being asked to donate $25, $50 or even $100 to the Chamber to keep them blooming.

It’s the kind of thing you may not notice, or may take for granted during the summer as you walk downtown, but it’s also the kind of thing that will be missed if its not around. We know there are a lot of things to support around here during this time, but we hope the Chamber is successful in getting the funds it needs to keep the flowers blooming in downtown New Ulm this summer.