NATCHEZ — A flash of red poppies has been greeting Under-the-Hill visitors thanks to a few local green thumbs.

Under-the-Hill residents Creda Stewart, an Adams County Master Gardener, and Greg Brooking collaborated in November to plant the poppies, which recently bloomed, and other wildflowers that will bloom later.

Stewart, who recently took over as interim director of the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Under-the-Hill is an entrance to the city for riverboat visitors and should be treated as such.

“We should have color all year-round down there celebrating the gardens of Natchez,” she said.

It takes an effort by the entire community, Stewart said, to ensure Natchez is beautiful for visitors.

“I think all of us are stewards of the land in our community,” she said.

Brooking said he believes the flowers add to the Under-the-Hill experience for visitors.

“I just like looking at them, too, and I just think it adds a lot of beauty down there,” he said.

The property the poppies were planted on near the base of the hill is leased by the Isle of Capri Casino, which purchased the seeds to plant the flowers. Dick Stewart, Stewart’s husband and the casino’s general manager, said the beautification of Natchez is the responsibility of all residents.

“Beautification anywhere is an individual’s responsibility,” he said. “I don’t leave it up to the City (of Natchez) to make sure this place is beautiful.”

Dick said the poppies have already attracted attention from visitors and drew a crowd of parents Easter Sunday who wanted to snap photographs of their children in front of the poppies.

Dick said more flowers will be planted next year, so the poppies will extend all the way to the boat ramp.

“It’s a worthwhile undertaking,” he said. “This is the perfect environment to beautify with the use of plants. It just takes a little bit of work, and it looks so much better.”