The following is from today’s San Francisco Chronicle “Chronicle Watch,” as the flower beds in the Rosie the Riveter Memorial once again bloom. Thanks to Rich McCoy and Sharon West for bringing back this little corner of Richmond’s favorite national park.

RESULTS

A garden grows in Richmond: It takes a tough flower -- like the astilbe -- to survive the brutal conditions at the Rosie the Riveter National Historic Monument in Richmond's Marina Bay Park. Three varietals of the flower were planted late last month in the cement beds that flank the walking path section of the monument, one of the first to honor the women's workforce in the United States during World War II. In January, a tipster informed ChronicleWatch that the beds bloomed with flowers during the monument's 2000 dedication, but the flowers died shortly afterward and were never replaced. Sharon West, Richmond's assistant to the parks superintendent, told us that the flowers didn't survive because the concrete beds didn't drain properly after waterings. The astilbes, which will grow from 1 to 4 feet tall, are less fragile and better suited for the conditions, she said. "Our gardener said that they'll be able to withstand more," West said. She added that the astilbes were a temporary solution. In the fall, her department will bore holes in the concrete slabs to determine how thick they are and then look into ways of increasing drainage.

Who got it done: Rich McCoy, Richmond's assistant manager for public services, (510) 620-6538; rich_mccoy@ ci.richmond.ca.us