For six years, The Flower Gardens, a local florist in Barnesville, has been spreading Valentine’s Day cheer to senior residents in care facilities and housing units. What started as a simple gesture has blossomed into a heart-warming tradition, bringing joy and floral beauty to the elderly in the community.
Each year, The Flower Gardens provides the raw materials and a quick tutorial on flower arranging, and volunteers from various organizations, including WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital, step up to create the arrangements. This year, volunteers helped assemble the bud vases, saving the owner, Shelley Rockwell, approximately eight hours of work. The arrangements are then delivered to 240 seniors in Barnesville.
Each bud vase features carnations, ferns, and baby’s breath, accompanied by a handwritten card. Businesses and individuals in the community contribute through sponsorships, ensuring that these floral gifts reach as many seniors as possible. Some elderly gentlemen have even been moved to tears, having never received flowers before.
