The Winkler Horticulture Society (WHS) has picked out its next beautification project.

The organization wants to spruce up the grassy area around the giant hockey stick in front of the Meridian Exhibition Centre.

The park project is a partnership between WHS, the City of Winkler and the Public Works department that will offer a variety of recreational features and will serve as attractive photo opportunity.

"The big hockey stick itself is a photo op and once we have the trees behind it and the shrubs around it and once they mature it will be a really nice photo op," said Jodi Szutu, project planner with the WHS. "We're going to have a few berms throughout the area as well, so that along with the path and all the shrubs and trees will be a great photo op in this area."

The proposal contains a walking path, picnic shelter, and fire pit area with an emphasis placed on winter interest shrubs, trees, and perennials throughout the 28,000 square feet space.

"We'll have some spruce and pine trees, some mugo pines as well, junipers and maybe some cedars in there. For shrubs we've got dogwoods, the red ones and yellow ones so that they'll have the bright stems for winter and some Hydrangeas which can often hold their flower heads in winter and grasses are beautiful in winter too."

Szutu says the executive for the horticulture society came up with idea of creating a skating path through the park for kids and families to enjoy in winter and they're pursuing the idea of establishing some art sculptures representing some of the sports that are played in the area.

The WHS has applied for several grants to help finance the project and any fundraising activity will be based on how much of that grant funding comes through.

"If we get the full amount of grant funding then I think it's possible to complete most of the project this year or possibly into next summer as well."