Although it has been a Clark County spectacle for the past six years, most of us can quite vividly remember the first time we laid eyes upon Meadow View Growers’ Blooming Bus. After all, it’s not like you see a full-size school bus totally covered in live plants driving down the road every day, so that tends to be the sort of thing you remember. My first encounter with the Blooming Bus happened three years ago at Smith Park while it was parked there for a GOBA gathering. I, like the majority of others who lay eyes upon such a sight for the first time, whipped out my phone as quickly as I could and took about a dozen pictures of the vegetation-covered vehicle.
Hopefully you too have captured the Blooming Bus on camera, for 2015 will be its last year touring the area. Earl Robinson of Meadow View Growers said that the time has come to retire the Blooming Bus, noting that high miles and the need to replace all of the bus’ soil contributed to the decision to decommission the treasured vehicle.
“It’s got close to one hundred thousand miles on it,” Robinson said. “Somewhere along the line, that thing’s going to break…we’re quitting while we’re still winning,” he said.
Robinson also added that the bus takes up a great deal of room in the greenhouse over the winter, where it sits from December through May to fully-develop for the next season. The soil “envelopes” on each side of the bus also need to be ripped off and filled with fresh soil, as the existing dirt has been stripped of required nutrients. Robinson said the task of removing the existing envelopes and replacing them would be a “big job,” to say the least.
The Blooming Bus was adorned with more than 2,000 starter plants in February, where it was pampered until May when it could be taken back outside. The varieties of plants changed each year, but it was generally covered in succulents and annual flowering plants including Coral Bells, Livingstone Daisies, and begonias.
The bus traveled at a top speed of 35 miles per hour to prevent damage to the plants, as any higher speeds would prevent the roots from holding the flowers into place.
Robinson explained that the driver of the Blooming Bus had access to a special switch that would trigger the sprinkler on top, surprising bystanders with a spray of cold water on hot summer days. Although many of the bus seats were removed to accommodate the built-in irrigation system, an assistant often rode along to assist the driver with assessing their surroundings.
Robinson said the idea for the Blooming Bus belongs to his son Scott Robinson, who saved the 1987 GMC from the scrapyard. Meadow View Growers has developed a reputation for recycling, or repurposing vintage or scrap items and turning them into living pieces of art by adding some plants and a creative eye, as their piano fountain and succulent-filled picture frames do attest.
Meadow View recognized Jeff’s Automotive in New Carlisle for keeping the bus running for the past several years, though Robinson said that he anticipated more and more breakdowns in coming years due to the bus’ age and high miles, and said the costs would be too great.
In 2013, the bus traveled nearly 250 miles around the area, appearing in parades, Touch-a-Trucks, and other community events.
Meadow View will host its annual Bow-Wow-Ween event for visitors and their dogs on Saturday, October 31. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and costume judging begins at 11 a.m. Cash prizes are awarded to best costumes for both dog and master alike.
