COEUR d'ALENE — Putting up 170 flower baskets in downtown Coeur d'Alene would seem to be a labor-intensive, time-consuming process.

But a team of volunteers made it look easy on a sunny Tuesday morning.

"Each year we kind of get a little more strategic about what we're doing," said Emily Boyd, executive director of the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association. "It goes smoother and quicker."

The colorful baskets hanging from holders on lamp posts on Sherman and Lakeside avenues are overflowing with petunia varieties with a red, white and blue theme. It's a tradition dating back at least two decades.

"It really beautifies the downtown corridor, and it makes it feel welcoming for people that come down and shop and play," Boyd said.

Volunteers followed the slow-moving Aspen Nursery truck up Sherman and down Lakeside. One team carried the flower baskets and left them at the base of light posts, while others followed with lifts to put them in place. The flowers will remain downtown through September. 

Ryland Hoit, a 2021 Lake City High School graduate and an intern with Welch Comer and Associates, was one of the volunteers.

"Getting outside, you get to smell the flowers and help the community," Hoit said.

The Downtown Association's Flags & Flowers program, which also provides 70 American flags in the downtown area, costs about $25,000 annually. Boyd said Aspen Nursery is a partner, while donations cover costs. The flower baskets are tended to daily by association staff.

Boyd said people love them and offer compliments.

"I think it's become a staple for downtown," she said. "When people think about downtown Coeur d'Alene, they think about friendly shopping and flower baskets."

Donations can be made at cdadowntown.com/flower-baskets.

"Please join us in ensuring that the sidewalks of Downtown Coeur d’Alene are lined proudly with flying American flags and blooming flowers," a press release said.

    Josh Mason with The Coeur d'Alene Resort puts a flower basket in place on Sherman Avenue on Tuesda