Flower Friends
Flower Bouquet Gifts for Elders & Shut-ins
Flowers for Community Events
I started Flowerfriends in 2007. It was an idea that came to me and it was a kind of ah- ha moment. For several years I had been trying to figure out a way to give back to my community. I had several ideas that never seem to get off the ground. I’ve tried a number of ways of volunteering and some of them can be a little frustrating.
For years I have been growing flowers and taking flowers to friends and pot lucks. I was always amazed at how much joy flowers brought people. A few years ago In 2006 a friend died in September when my garden was dying. I cut every flower I had and took it to the memorial. It was at an old barn at the community park. I spread the flower heads all over the barn. I wasn’t the only person then brought flowers that day. Most people made bouquets or bought them. I brought boxes full of flower heads. And I spread them all over every horizontal surface I could find. Anyway the long and short of this story is that within a few days my garden was completely filled with flowers again. It was the time of the year when the flowers normally start to fade. Somehow that was a sign for me that I was on the right track.
After this I went to a fairly dramatic relationship breakup. I considered going to another country to do volunteer work. As I began to look around I found out you had to pay to be a volunteer. I realized that it might be better for me to stay at home and try to help people in my own community. I realized that my desire to give back was more important than ever. If I was going to survive I needed to throw myself into something I had never done before. So I started my own NGO.
For years I have been growing flowers and taking flowers to friends and pot lucks. I was always amazed at how much joy flowers brought people. A few years ago In 2006 a friend died in September when my garden was dying. I cut every flower I had and took it to the memorial. It was at an old barn at the community park. I spread the flower heads all over the barn. I wasn’t the only person then brought flowers that day. Most people made bouquets or bought them. I brought boxes full of flower heads. And I spread them all over every horizontal surface I could find. Anyway the long and short of this story is that within a few days my garden was completely filled with flowers again. It was the time of the year when the flowers normally start to fade. Somehow that was a sign for me that I was on the right track.
After this I went to a fairly dramatic relationship breakup. I considered going to another country to do volunteer work. As I began to look around I found out you had to pay to be a volunteer. I realized that it might be better for me to stay at home and try to help people in my own community. I realized that my desire to give back was more important than ever. If I was going to survive I needed to throw myself into something I had never done before. So I started my own NGO.
Farley Harding
Flowerfriends is completely volunteer run. At this point I grow all the flowers from seeds in my greenhouse until they are large enough to be planted outside. I grow the flowers outside and harvest most of them myself. I have a little army of volunteers that help make the bouquets and deliver them.
What we have found in doing this for three years now is that it is a win-win situation. I feel like I am the richest man in the world. When I come in to my house with 5 gallon buckets filled with different kinds of flowers there is nothing that makes me happier. My people that come and make bouquets on Sunday seemed to get a real joy and pleasure from the process. And needless to say our seniors at hospice people are overwhelmed with joy to receive weekly flowers for free. To be honest I can’t believe that I have stumbled onto something so amazing. It has really fulfilled my dreams of a life in service. I even feel a little guilty taking complements for what we do because I get so much joy for this
The first year in 2007 I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. I talked to hospice senior nursing facility and the people at Meals on Wheels. My main focus was hospice. I told them my intentions and they were very happy but didn’t know what to do with me. After several weeks of me bringing flowers in and having them sit on the table in the office not delivered to patients, Shirley helped me take vases to my truck. She saw the truck filled with flowers and said then and there.’ I will talk to the board ”That week I started my hospice list. From there it built to delivering 75 to 100 bouquets a week. We deliver flowers to hospice patients shut-in seniors and cancer patients.
Farley Harding
What we have found in doing this for three years now is that it is a win-win situation. I feel like I am the richest man in the world. When I come in to my house with 5 gallon buckets filled with different kinds of flowers there is nothing that makes me happier. My people that come and make bouquets on Sunday seemed to get a real joy and pleasure from the process. And needless to say our seniors at hospice people are overwhelmed with joy to receive weekly flowers for free. To be honest I can’t believe that I have stumbled onto something so amazing. It has really fulfilled my dreams of a life in service. I even feel a little guilty taking complements for what we do because I get so much joy for this
The first year in 2007 I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. I talked to hospice senior nursing facility and the people at Meals on Wheels. My main focus was hospice. I told them my intentions and they were very happy but didn’t know what to do with me. After several weeks of me bringing flowers in and having them sit on the table in the office not delivered to patients, Shirley helped me take vases to my truck. She saw the truck filled with flowers and said then and there.’ I will talk to the board ”That week I started my hospice list. From there it built to delivering 75 to 100 bouquets a week. We deliver flowers to hospice patients shut-in seniors and cancer patients.
Farley Harding