Grassy medians on Ga. Highway 54 in Fayetteville will soon erupt in floral splendor.

City Council Monday approved a beautification and landscape plan for the medians that will fill the space with tens of thousands of shrubs, perennial flowers and small trees.

"I'm really looking forward to this. I can hardly wait to see how it's going to look," said Sherri Anderson, director of Fayetteville's Main Street program.

Crepe myrtle, dwarf holly, liriope, barberry, purple winter creeper, juniper and other hardy plants more than 25 varieties in all will fill the currently bare median, plus more than 2,000 daylillies, said David Hollingsworth of Hollingsworth Landscape Company. Council awarded Hollingsworth the contract to plant phase one of the project at a cost of $138,852.

The price is far lower than two other bids for the work, because Hollingsworth decided to donate $35,000 of his normal bid to save the city money on the project, said Anderson.

Phase one covers the median from Gingercake Road on the west side of town to the welcome sign at Tiger Trail, and on the city's east side from the point where the highway splits eastward for about 600 feet, plus a stretch of Ga. Highway 85 north at its intersection with Jeff Davis Drive.

Anderson said Main Street officials are targeting a second phase, covering Hwy. 85 north to Fayette Pavilion, for this fall.

Council also approved eight new city limits signs, using the city's recently adopted official seal, at a cost of $11,741, and the group agreed to provide $8,000 for a welcome sign on the east side of Hwy. 54, similar to the one on the west side at Tiger Trail. The first sign was an Eagle Scout project and included the work of well-known local artist Andrew Billingsley, and Anderson said Boy Scouts have volunteered to build the new sign as well, again using Billingsley's art.

The signs, said Anderson, "will increase our sources of city pride, and provide a real sense of definition to the city."