Cleanup volunteers sweep into, spruce up Nashville

Hundreds of volunteers swept into North Nashville on Thursday to pick up litter, plant flowers and shrubs, and paint over graffiti.

It was part of the Great American Cleanup, a nationwide volunteer event coordinated by Keep America Beautiful. Nashville was one of the three showcase cities this year along with New York City and Waveland, Miss.

"Not because it's full of litter — because we couldn't find any — but because it is so beautiful," said Gail Cunningham, vice president of the national group.

Volunteers on Thursday dug in to make a dozen spots near downtown even more beautiful. The North branch library, one of the city's two Carnegie buildings, was landscaped.

"We're using a lot of wonderful, colorful plant material to complement this beautiful building," said Mark Kerske, owner of Gardens of Babylon, a nursery and design center at the nearby Farmers' Market.