New initiatives to support the floriculture sector are still started everyday. Here is yet another list of people (in the UK, Colombia and Australia) making other people happy with flowers and launching campaigns to keep flowers and plants top of mind.
UK
#Flowersfromthefarmrainbow
The hashtag was started by Andrea Julyan who runs The Nectar Bar in the south of Manchester. She spotted a lovely photo tweeted by medical student, Amelia Websdale, of a rainbow she'd made using petals and leaves from her garden to cheer up her colleagues. Amelia is currently volunteering at different hospitals around Leeds where she is portering and getting supplies out.
Andrea said: "There had been a few rainbow-ish posts, I just marshalled some enthusiasm. I asked the north west FFtF group for some ideas about hashtags and decided on #nhsrainbowflowers and #flowersfromthefarmrainbow I was hoping that members of the public would join in too, and some have, which is great. It seems to have created a lot of happy responses when I look at individual posts."
Every Thursday, Andrea, will be posting the latest flower rainbows on the Flowers From the Farm Instagram stories and she'll be doing a monthly takeover of the Instagram feed too, with the next one scheduled for 14th May. You can join in using #flowersfromthefarmrainbow, #flowersfromthefarmrainbows and #nhsrainbowflowers.
Royal Surrey staff
People in the UK have clapped for their carers for the sixth week in a row. One campaign is planning something extra for the staff of Guildford's Royal Surrey. Hug a Hospital will give out 300 bunches of flowers.
The campaign is about boosting the morale of NHS staff during the coronavirus crisis. The team speaks to hospital staff to find out how they can make their lives easier, including giving out fresh food or extra treats to boost their day. Hug a Hospital crowdfund to raise the money to pay for the goods and then organise the delivery, reports Eagle Radio.
Garden Day
Garden Day is on Sunday, May 10th, celebrating the happiness effect of gardens - a message that is particularly relevant in the current time. The Garden Day community benefit movement is calling on gardeners to down tools, pop on a homemade flower crown, sit back in their gardens with a cuppa or a glass of wine and share their garden virtually with friends and family by video calls and social media.
A number of Friends of Garden Day have come together wearing flower crowns for a fun video to encourage people to get involved in Garden Day, and share their moments on social media with #GardenDayUK. The contributors include Arit, Chris, Sarah Raven, Gynelle Leon, Matthew Wilson, Ann-Marie Powell, Claire Austin, Jonathan Moseley, Shane Connolly and Alice Vincent .
Florists and flower farmers are giving free flower crown workshops on social media in the run-up and on Sunday, 10th May, Garden Day will be hosting a free Virtual Garden Gathering on Zoom and Facebook Live with live floristry, food and garden tours across the day. Also a social media toolkit has been made to give one all the relevant tags and hashtags and suggested posts.
Colombia
With the delivery of 450 bouquets, Colombian flower growers thank the maritime authorities for their support in the ports and on the high seas, to continue with the export of flowers, one of the most important areas of the Colombian economy. Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores: "Although exports for Mother's Day suffered a substantial drop, without the collaboration of the Maritime Authority to keep the ports running, we would not have managed to comply with many orders that, with great effort, we obtained and that would have worsened the serious situation of the sector.
The Commander of the Colombian Navy, Admiral Evelio Ramírez Gáfaro, states "The delivery of these flowers by the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters (ASOCOLFLORES) is a gesture of support and recognition that the Colombian Navy receives with deep gratitude. These expressions of support are a great motivation to continue supporting Colombians in these moments of health emergency. I take this opportunity to thank the flower industry, an important productive sector, and recognize its contribution to the national economy, wishing it every success in these times of crisis.
During the delivery of the bouquets, which took place at the Monument of the Fallen Heroes, located in the National Administrative Center (CAN), on Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 am, Rear Admiral Juan Francisco Herrera Leal, General Maritime Director, Rear Admiral Luis Fernando Márquez Veloza, Head of Human Development of the Colombian Navy, Alejandro Guaqueta, member of the Board of Directors of Asocolflores and Edgar Celis, Coordinator of Economics and Logistics of Asocolflores were present.
Asocolflores said that this recognition also seeks to highlight the important humanitarian work carried out by these institutions in the transportation of medical supplies, the delivery of humanitarian aid to low-income communities and the services provided to citizens in hospitals.
This initiative was also picked by several media in Colombia.
Australia
#Plantpals
Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) is launching a new customer engagement campaign which will aim to position retailers and garden centres as the primary destination for tips, landscaping advice and consumer purchases.
With demand for plants increasing during the COVID-19 isolation period, GIA is looking to capitalise on this moment to ensure that new gardeners remain engaged with greenlife even once they return to the office, pubs and gyms.
GIA Business Members, retail businesses who have joined a State NGI Association and Garden Centres of Australia Members will be provided with the essentials to be the 'hero' of their own campaign.
Media release templates, social media content shared, factsheets and more will be provided along with instructions on how to get involved in the new campaign, which will all be tied together under a central hub called #PlantPals and supported by public relations agency Cox Inall Communications.
The initiative will:
- Help strengthen the retail and garden centre channel for growers as the challenges of the pandemic stabilise.
- Establish a movement for growers, landscapers and retailers to share with their networks.
- Include a store locator of Member retail and garden centre businesses nationally.
- By financially boosting Facebook and Instagram social posts of all Member businesses (who share content) providing the direct benefit of increase following of their pages.
- Aim to provide national media coverage of a new community gardening hub which draws information and content from all available sources including Member business blogs and videos, existing State Member campaigns such as #RediscoverYourGarden by NGIV, the information and resources available on Plant Life Balance; and Garden Releaf by Garden Centre of Australia (GCA).
The 8-week campaign funded by Greenlife Industry Australia and supported by GCA is due to kick off next week.