DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Flowers and decorations left on graves in several Des Moines city cemeteries must be picked up by the end of the month, or be thrown out by city workers. Des Moines Parks and Recreation staff will begin removing memorial decorations placed on gravesites in municipal cemeteries on Oct. 1. That means cemetery visitors have until Sept. 30 to collect any decorations they’d like to keep.
Items cemetery staff will remove and discard include vigil lights, statues, floral decorations, fences, boxes, toys, vases, glass, wood signs, cement blocks and similar articles. Workers will complete the clearing by Oct. 15, after which, the public will again be allowed to place decorations on gravesites.

The next municipal cemetery cleanup following October’s will be in March.