Arranging
The Gift of Love!
Plants and Blooms ReImagined
welcomed the month of May with establishing formal partnerships with
Seabury Resources for Aging's Home First/Age-In-Place residences and
its Springvale Terrace residence. Based on the success of the initial
relationship and volunteer work with Home First's Pleasant Hill house
residents, Plants and Blooms ReImagined will increase access for more than 150
residents to the beauty and benefits of indoor plants and flower
arrangements!
As the month of May comes to a
close with honoring those who have given their lives for the
preservation of freedom around the world, Plants and Blooms ReImagined enjoyed
this past Friday celebrating life with children as they arranged very special
gifts of love. Young people (ages 4 to 15)of DC's Brentwood Apartment community
(predominantly low-income residents) and members of the Brookland Manor
Community Center Beet Street sponsored Friday After School Garden Club all
squealed in delight to discover that they were going to be playing
around with cut flowers to create arrangements to take home to their
families. Young people who are typically in motion in the
garden - checking on newly planted seedlings, hunting down
strawberries or figs and/or racing to be a part of the watering assembly
line - were all indoors excitedly calling out for red and white and purple
flowers (carnations and asters), deftly arranging and rearranging, admiring
their creations and greatly anticipating when they would present their
gifts of love to that special someone at home. No surprise, moms were at the top of the list. Yet, one young guy would surprise us all and
bring our attention to this important time of Memorial Day observance. He
shared that he was going to give half to his mom and the other half he was
going to take to put on his grandfather's gravesite in honor of Memorial Day
because he got shot in the army. How special was this experience for all
of the children, but especially for this young guy. What came in as a box
of undefined cut flowers, left in the proud hands and hearts of children
as reimagined and inspired arranged gifts of love!
