27th annual Flower Basket Program in the works

(ABC 6 NEWS) – Despite the colder weather, the Flower Basket Program in Austin is starting to bloom.

The flowers are currently growing at Hilltop Nursery.

They were planted last month so that they are in full bloom by summertime.

"There are two reasons why we do the flowers one is visitors who come in and it is so fun to come into a community that is so beautiful, but it is also a real sense of pride for those of us who live here and we always just walk a little taller in the downtown area when those beautiful baskets are up," Co-Chair of the Flower Basket Program, Bonnie Rietz said.

Last year, organizers of the basket program decided why just stop at summer and added fall and winter decor to their list.

Overall the decorations cost $46,000 that money comes from the community, businesses, and the city of Austin.

"It contributes jobs to people so there are within the parks and rec department there are people who are then watering these flowers and then it is creating jobs and we are also supporting the local business for all three of them fall winter and the flowers," Co-Chair of the Flower Basket Program, Mary Anne Duren said.

Fundraising is done in the fall and the winter.

The flower baskets will be hung in downtown Austin starting in May.