Have you ever received a bouquet of flowers just because or stopped on the street to admire someone’s flower garden? I bet it brought you a ton of joy! Flowers have a way of uplifting our spirits with their beauty and bright colours.
Random Gifts of Flowers is all about spreading that joy. Flowers are such meaningful gifts, lifting people’s moods in an instant. It proves that it really doesn’t take much to make someone smile and brighten their day. All you need is a little bit of colour from mother nature.
Sponsored content: This project was created in partnership with Flowerbulbs.com an amazing resource for everything about flower bulbs. Thanks to an EU grant for supporting bulb growers, flowerbulbs.com was able to fund the creation of these videos. Thank you for teaching us all about the love of bulbs and helping me to spread kindness to those who need it the most.
What is the Random Gifts of Flowers Project?
When Flowerbulbs.com asked me to be part of their spring project to help spread the word that flowers make people happy, I responded with a resounding, “Yes, please!!”
They wanted to share how planting summer flowering bulbs in the spring will brighten your summer garden and bring some much needed happiness. Together, we decided that the best way to get the word out was to catch the reactions of everyday folks receiving Random Gifts of Flowers. #RandomGiftsOfFlowers
“What exactly are summer-flowering bulbs?” you ask? Read all about Summer Flowering Bulbs and see which ones you would choose for your garden.
We’ve now filmed the whole series and will be releasing the videos over the next few weeks. I’ll admit, I’m just bursting to show you guys how it went! It’s our hope that seeing the joy that flowers bring will encourage more people to grow summer flowering bulbs as cutting flowers and give them away to others.
Part One: Surprising Strangers with Flower Bulbs
For our first Random Gifts of Flowers, we headed to my local garden centre, GardenWorks, to surprise some garden shoppers with summer bulbs. When I popped up with two packs of bulbs in hand, everyone was truly surprised. It was an absolute delight to see all the individuals, families, and children light up when we gave them flowers.
Some people shared some really personal stories with me that they didn’t want to share on camera, but it reminded me how much pain and suffering is out there in the world. We truly don’t know what people are going through and living with.
The best part of it all was to hear who folks would share the flowers with! Be sure to see what they say in the video, it’s heartwarming.
To give people flowers and brighten their day may not solve all the world’s problems, but it does make a difference in brightening that part of their day. Being able to do this opportunity is amazing and after feeling everyone’s emotions, I just wanted to give them a big hug. Flowers are the next best thing.
Check out the video below. You can’t help but smile while watching it!
A huge thank you to the staff and customers at GardenWorks, Burnaby – Lougheed. They made shooting this project a breeze and they are always a treat to work with. You can find them at 6250 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, B.C.
A note on filming: our crew takes all COVID-19 protocols very seriously. We followed all health directions from the retailer and the Provincial Health Officer. While filming, all crew members were free of any symptoms, wore masks, practiced social distancing, and used plenty of hand sanitizer. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who is working hard at keeping our most vulnerable folks safe.
Part Two
I knew I wanted to include frontline workers in the #RandomGiftsOfFlowers project. This past year has been so difficult for many of us and without them, we wouldn’t have healthcare, groceries, mail, school, food, and so much more. While I wanted to surprise them, I also wanted to make sure I didn’t interfere with their hard work.
This led me to all the amazing delivery people in my life! They work tirelessly to keep the community safe and allowing us all to stay at home. Without them, immunocompromised people, the elderly, and stay-at-home parents like me wouldn’t be able to stay safe while getting everything they need.
After giving away the flowers and bulbs, the response was overwhelming. While we didn’t share it on camera, some people were extremely touched by the gesture and it goes to show how a little bit of flower joy can make all the difference.
Watch us surprise delivery workers below!
Thank you to Arbutus Florist for providing me with these gorgeous bouquets!
Part Three
For the last Random Gifts of Flowers, I wanted to thank the people who support our communities by taking care of our children. Childcare workers prove themselves as everyday heroes by supporting parents and the community to allow essential service workers to get out there so we can all be well supported.
As a working parent myself, I see the hard work of childcare workers every week. They deserve all the praise in the world for everything they do for our kids!
The day may have been rainy, but the joy of flowers truly lit up the spirits of those involved. Check out the video below!
Flowers are the New Hugs
This past year has been hard on many and we could all use a little happiness boost. It is my hope that Random Gifts of Flowers continues well beyond me. Giving flowers as gifts spreads love and compassion in a time when we need it the most.
Grow your own flowers to brighten your neighbourhood. Give your family some bulbs for them to grow and enjoy. Cut gorgeous flowers from your own garden and gift them as a bouquet to a friend. The possibilities are endless when it comes to spreading the love of flowers. Flowers are the new hugs!
To get you started on your own flower gifting journey, be sure to check out my guide on some of the best summer-flowering bulbs you can plant in the spring for a showy, amazing garden come summertime.
If you share flowers with your friends and family, be sure to use #RandomGiftsOfFlowers on social media so we can all see. Giving flowers warmed my heart more than I ever thought it would and I just know that all your photos will make everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside.
GIVEAWAY: 25 Lillium ‘Lionheart’ Bulbs
This lily sure is an eyecatcher! Its dark black center paired with yellow tips are sure to spruce up your garden. The stems are sturdy and the flowers long-lasting, making them an ideal cut flower. They also naturalize well so you may see them appear year after year. A brand new bulb, enter to win 25 Asiatic Lily Lionheart bulbs for your garden…and to share of course with #RandomGiftsOfFlowers!
The winner will be chosen using a random number generator on May 26, 2021. This contest is open to Canada (except Quebec) and the US. Good luck and thanks for entering! This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Bobbie for being randomly selected!
The lionheart lilies are absolutely breathtaking. I am still waiting for spring to arrive here in Lone Butte in the South Cariboo. At our elevation we are still dipping below zero and experiencing snowflakes/hail etc. I have already lost a whole flat of marigolds among other things in my greenhouse. I have several of your books (purchased when we lived on the Sunshine Coast) a much more forgiving climate. I look forward to receiving your emails and participating in your online workshops. Gardening is my therapy!!!!!
What beautiful flowers. Our temperatures here in Kansas keep changing making it hard to really start planting full force. Gardening has become my saving grace, and I appreciate all your information and craft projects.
I absolutely love the idea of giving Flower Joy! It makes me think of every time my kids have picked me a dandelion. Also of my grandma. My dad always picked roadside wildflower bouquets for her and my mom. He still does for mom.
This flower will strongly support our continued effort to bring floral appreciation and the working of nature to our sensory garden. We are a community working together to create a space for all to enjoy and learn together.
These are beautiful! I would love to plant these with my granddaughter Lillie. It would be a wonderful boost to the past year of loss she experienced and something beautiful to mark a fresh start for her. Thank you for all you do!