The residential area Achter Mensing in Erica awaits a colorful surprise this spring. By spring, a colorful display of flowers sprouts in nine places in the Achter Mensing district. No fewer than 10,000 flower bulbs were planted in the soil for this purpose. It is one of the many initiatives to renovate the neighborhood.
Handfuls of bulbs, nine students from primary schools De Anbracht, Willem-Alexander and De Brummelbos dump a large number of pale flower bulbs into a series of pre-drilled holes. The corner of the roadside in front of De Anbracht is now nothing more than a dull patch of grass. But by spring, the bulbs will provide a rainbow of color from the ground.
Henk Berghuis of the Village Council looks on with a smile as he covers the filled holes here and there. “We literally want to make the neighborhood flourish,” he laughs. “And we also wanted to involve local youth.” The flowers will soon attract insects and that will be good for biodiversity.”
In addition to Achter Mensinge, other places in the village are also discussed, according to Berghuis. “There is also a lawn in Havenstraat that we will provide with bulbs. “Whether Erica should become a large Floriade? We’re trying to make that happen.”
The flower project stems from the projects of the Achter Mensing working group. That is the official name of this residential area near the sports fields on Erica. The district, which includes Kalffstraat, Semsstraat and Heemskerkstraat, is now more than 65 years old.
Six years ago, residents raised the alarm because they were concerned about the appearance and safety of their neighborhood. People were driving too fast, the streets and sidewalks were in a sad state and there was rust in the lampposts. The neighborhood also suffers from a lack of parking space. The neighborhood then came up with a plan that the municipality of Emmen liked. Because he made an amount of 25,000 euros available.
Another cry from the heart was the return of the public gardens as a break from the monotonous lawns in the area. “And a big step forward has now been taken,” says Egbert Zomer of the Achter Mensinge working group. According to Zomer, it doesn’t stop there. The intention is to grow more trees in the area. “We are thinking of fruit trees, apples and pears.”
The working group has been anything but idle in recent years. Road safety has improved thanks to the raising of existing speed bumps and the introduction of narrowings in the streets. Many lampposts have now been replaced and safety has been boosted thanks to the updated back path lighting.
One wish that remains high on the list is additional parking. “The family composition in the neighborhood has changed. You see young people living with their parents for longer and that means there are extra vehicles at home.” The problem has not yet been solved, but Zomer thinks the solution could be to split existing parking spaces into several places.
In the meantime, another wish can be partly taken off that list. “It will soon be brightened up nicely,” laughs Zomer.