Kathy McKnight from Williamstown Garden Club plants petunias at Walley Bridge on Saturday. Planting on the bridge is a longtime club tradition that was halted for multiple years because of construction.

WILLIAMSTOWN — “Finally, this is the year.”

That was how Kathy McKnight and her fellow Williamstown Garden Club members felt as they planted flowers on Walley Bridge for the first time in five years.

The garden enthusiasts spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday planting their annual flower containers around town, notably returning the florals to the bridge after a five-year hiatus due to construction. Planting at the bridge has been a longtime favorite spot for club members, McKnight said, and members look forward to the honks and excitement from passersby when the planting returns each year.

The Walley Bridge stretches over the Green River on a busy Route 2 strip in town, right by the Aubuchon Ace Hardware and Williamstown Cemetery.

Williamstown Garden Club members plant patriotic-themed petunias at Walley Bridge on Saturday.

With the bicentennial this year, the club chose red, white and blue petunias for many of their containers. The flowers were growing at Mount Williams Greenhouses all winter “so they could be nice and splashy,” McKnight said.

Club member Licia Conforti salvaged the original 8-inch boxes from the bridge before construction started. To make them easier to work with, the club contacted McCann Technical School’s metal fabrication program to split them into 20 4-inch boxes. Those boxes were then painted green and shaped up for the weekend’s planting.

“It’s been a joy to work with them,” McKnight said of the McCann students.

Since 1933, the club has maintained a number of flower plantings around town from April to October and then begins the planning process for next spring all over again.

Williamstown Garden Club members plant petunias at Walley Bridge on Saturday. Planting on the bridge is a longtime club tradition that was halted for multiple years because of construction.

They maintain floral boxes at 42 intersections, McKnight said, as well as along the bike path from Park Street to the Spruces, in whisky barrels at Margaret Lindley Park, outside the fire station, around the town field and at the outdoor reading area at the library.

“Most everything colorful and growing in the summer can be attributed to the Garden Club,” McKnight said.

Generations of volunteers have been maintaining mostly the same areas since the club’s founding. The club’s current 75 active and associate members sign up for certain locations and are responsible for weekly maintenance.

“We all travel around town with half gallon jugs and pruning scissors in our cars," said McKnight, who is currently the club’s membership chair.

Williamstown Garden Club began their annual spring planting over Memorial Day weekend. Since 1933, the club has maintained various flower plantings around town from April to October.

She said the first thing she did when she moved to town 25 years ago was join the club. She didn’t know anyone and said it’s helped learn about the town and do something for it.

“It’s been a joy,” she said. “It’s constantly meeting new people and when you get involved, you might get involved with something else."