Blooming Partnership Benefits Seniors

Chelmsford Garden Club has many talented members who are expert gardeners and have an interest in all aspects of our environment. CGC has been doing Garden Therapy at the Chelmsford Senior Center and Palm Manor Nursing Home for over 30 years. The Power of Flowers Project is a non-profit organization that recycles and repurposes gently used flowers and makes them into small bouquets that are given to residents in nursing and assisted living homes, cancer centers, community meals, meals-on-wheels, and veterans groups. Recently several Power of Flower volunteers became members of Chelmsford Garden Club. POF won a grant from the Chelmsford Cultural Council to bring the art and beauty of flower arranging to seniors in Chelmsford. Collaborating with CGC was a natural. Six times each year CGC volunteers pick up flowers and supplies from the POF workshop and meet at the Senior Center or Palm Manor Home and work with 15-20 seniors, teaching them the formula for making POF's signature bouquets, from making an apron of greens around the edge of the cup to picking their favorite color and variety of flowers to create bouquets that they can take to their rooms or to their families. It is an inspirational experience to watch as club members and the elderly work together to create a bouquet which they can proudly say they made. The event provides an opportunity to meet new people and have stimulating conversations and activities then usually ends in a community song fest. Club members have the satisfaction of having served others and the seniors have a change in their routine and meet new and interesting people. Chelmsford Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of MA and the National Garden Clubs, Inc.