By Sarina Dellinger
Salisbury Parks and Rec

Hurley Park has some exciting things in store for the fall. One of the many exciting things is we will have an OSCAR device installed in the stream at Hurley Park to celebrate Rowan County Creek Week. The OSCAR device will capture litter that washes downstream from storm drains before it can pollute larger waterways, clutter our pond, or get wrapped into the motor on our fountain. We are inviting everyone to join the City of Salisbury Stormwater Division and Hurley Park staff for the “Rowan Creek Week: Meet OSCAR!” event at 2 p.m. on Aug. 25 at Hurley Park. It’s a chance to learn more about OSCAR devices, see an installation, and celebrate Rowan County Creek Week. Be sure to follow @RowanCreekWeek on Facebook and Instagram to learn about other events happening Saturday, Aug. 21, through Saturday, Aug. 28.

The excitement continues as we plan for a few large projects in the fall. The pond deck will be resurfaced in the coming months. Many of the boards are showing signs of wear and tear that have accumulated over the past 30 years. We are thankful for the generous donation from the Hurley family to be able to complete this large, but needed, repair. In addition to this, the forebay at the park will be dredged by Salisbury Public Works crews. This forebay was installed in 2019 and helps to retain debris and silt from accumulating in the pond.

Of course, I am excited for the fall blooms at the park. The Formosa Lilies are spectacular in full bloom and you may be able to catch a few still blooming. The Swamp Sunflowers and Fireworks Goldenrod will be stars of the show in the Fuller Perennial Garden. Spiderwort will be getting its second flush of flowers for the year as the temperature cools off. There are many asters of varying colors throughout the garden that will be blooming over the next month. Lastly, be sure to look for the Surprise Lily also known as the Hurricane Lily or Resurrection Lily. They lose their foliage in the spring and their beautiful blooms seem to burst out of the ground without warning in the fall, especially if you don’t remember where they are.

If you have questions about Hurley Park, how to book events, or what is going on, please give us a call at 704-638-4459, or contact us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. If you would like to donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark.

Sarina Dellinger is assistant public garden manager for Salisbury Parks and Recreation.