Homes and Gardens / lifestyle
Local flower seller gifts kindness to the community
Having begun flower farming in the last year, Joanna Bane is now using her floral enterprise to inspire the local community, aptly called ‘The Flower Gift’.
Located in the village of Backwell, overlooking the Bristol channel, Joanna’s flower farm sits on half an acre of Joanna’s regenerated pig and hen farm. Having moved there eight years ago with her two young daughters, who are now both grown up, Joanna wanted to put the land to positive use.
Joanna has no time for waste, and began to take recommendations from her customers, who would nominate people to receive gifted flowers. Nominees receive the flowers as surprise, bringing a smile to their day.
is needed now More than ever
What started as an idea for the local community to sell flowers, has blossomed into a continuing project.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgD7wjHqdfO/
Every five bouquets made, a ten-flower wrap is gifted to a nominated person, creating a what Joanna calls a “wheel of kindness”.
The Flower Gift has been continually developed as Joanna has accumulated more and more flowers from making customer bouquets.
Joanna says “I thought people would really enjoy the flowers but I had no idea how positive an affect it could really have on peoples happiness and mental wellness” – Photo: Maddie Clarke-Newell
Joanna says she was positively surprised by how much the project would positively effect the mental wellness of the people receiving the flowers.
She credits her mother for her green fingers. A landscape gardener who is still very passionate about gardening, Joanna describes her mother “my encyclopedia of all things green and colourful.”
Joanna has plans for The Flower Gift’s expansion, welcoming new ventures such as a ‘pick your own flowers’ scheme through August and September.
Main photo: Maddie Clarke-Newell
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