Flowers bring light and color into any space. Our hope with this project is to provide ~30 families/homes with weekly free bouquets (the houses on our square block and the adjacent block). Our idea is to unite the individuals in our living area in a small but meaningful way.

Many studies have shown flowers' positive impacts on depression, increased compassion, higher energy levels, and general mood uplift, and receiving flowers increases the receivers sense of being cared for. I certainly have found this to be true for myself! Flowers also bring bees, butterflies, birds, and other critters into a neighborhood, increasing the biodiversity and liveliness of the area, as well as providing a habitat for beneficials that impact local vegetable gardens allowing for true local, organic eating.

My partner and I live in a fast changing neighborhood in Oakland, near a wide, high traffic street, with little neighborhood communication and a visible class divide. We are blessed with a large yard space on which we grow an extensive vegetable / cut flower garden. A cut flower garden only works with regular harvest (2x/week) creating a true bounty of blooms.

After the first three months (around July -- planting will happen in late February for first harvests in April), we will host a community flower party, with tutorials and seeds/starts for passing the gift of flower growing around the neighborhood and encouraging interpersonal interactions.

It is fundamental to this project that these flowers go out consistently and as a gift. The expensive nature of store bought flowers have made them into a luxury most cannot afford. These flowers will provide the gift of beneficials to this neighborhood, and maybe the neighborhood will return a gift of unburdened appreciation to these flowers.