Showing posts with label dahlias for senior center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dahlias for senior center. Show all posts

Dahlias for Seniors 2018 Wrap-Up - a Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center Fundraiser

Tuesday, November 20, 2018


Text and Photos by John Hibbs

With the warm October-November we’re having, my 100 dahlia plants are still producing lovely blossoms, though the blossoms don’t last as long in a bouquet and the colors are a little faded from peak.

On schedule, most of the 4-5’ plants are drooping, browning here and there, and turning silver with mildew, sure signs of autumn decline. Many who dig the tubers up for winter are waiting for a first hard frost that will stimulate a “hardening”, giving them more durability out of ground.

None of this is set in stone – it’s now the usual time to dig and separate and the Puget Sound Dahlia Association took their tubers from the ground in Seattle’s Volunteer Park last Saturday.

I just like to wait for a frost; but if one doesn’t come, say, by mid-December I’ll just take them up anyway. Next step after that, for those of you learning to grow dahlias, will be to weed and turn the ground, then cover with about 2” manure that will percolate nutrients down with winter’s drizzle, replacing nitrogen, minerals and vitamins.

But enough about gardening! The Dahlias for Seniors 2018 fundraiser was a smashing success!

Our best friend and partner, the Ridgecrest Public House (Megan Kogut proprietor), once again sold most of the bouquets delivered between late July and mid-October.

Thank you all for supporting your Shoreline –Lake Forest Park Senior Center by buying bouquets!

We had so many dahlia-loving followers coming back from last season and snapping up bouquets that in August we added a third weekly delivery to the Pub.

And Ms. Kogut, best friend and partner, again matched all donations. In total, drum roll please, the Ridgecrest Pub generated $1500 this year for the Senior Center!

With S-LFPSC management consensus, I decided to try a first this year -- selling the dahlias for donations from the Senior Center’s reception desk.

I stocked extra vases, buckets, plastic bags, rubber bands, flower preserver -- and wondered what would happen.

I’m thrilled to say the dahlia blossoms sold so well from the Senior Center I again needed to add a third weekly delivery.

With much help from Senior Center volunteers we sold another $1100!

Our grand total raised comes to $2600, a personal best.

Thank you so much to all flower lovers, Center personnel, Megan and the RPH, my social networkers, and the Shoreline Area News.

We have a thriving Senior Center in Shoreline. It’s full of interesting people weekdays, especially around lunchtime-midday. If you haven’t visited, please do; and perhaps have a rewarding conversation or two. Or play ping pong. Or learn to knit. Or hula. Or get free financial counseling. You get the picture. See you next dahlia season!




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Dahlia of the Week: AC Rooster

Monday, September 24, 2018

AC Rooster dahlia
Photo by John Hibbs


By John Hibbs, ND

With the Fall Equinox our dahlia season is in its last lap. October is always a question mark, but as long as the nights stay mostly above 50ºF and it doesn’t get too wet they can bloom till November. Here’s another great flower for you - the AC Rooster!

I’ve said before that I love dahlias that look like their names, and AC Rooster describes this blossom perfectly. With the bright color of rooster comb on each petal’s topside and a paler value of same on the underside, the lengthwise folding of petals to narrow backcurving points also evokes rooster tail. In the dahlia world this is called the Stellar form, and AC Rooster is a classic. His flowers spread 5-6”, officially size BB or Small.

He was first introduced to dahlia lovers in 2010 by the Puget Sound’s own Ken Greenway and has won awards and hearts. The plant blooms robustly, producing many blossoms on very long strong stems on which the flowers sit uprightly, thus looking like a proud strutting rooster. The flowers last well in a bouquet.

AC Rooster dahlias
Photo by John Hibbs


AC Rooster tubers are somewhat difficult to find, but a few dahlia distributors in the PNW still carry them. And I’ll have them in Spring 2019 at the Dahlias for Seniors tuber sale on the second Tuesday in May.

Meanwhile the 2018 Dahlias for Seniors fundraiser continues and you can purchase AC Rooster blossoms in a bouquet at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center (18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after about 10:30am. 

And at the Ridgecrest Public House (520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155) Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays shortly after opening.



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Dahlia of the Week -- Funfair

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Funfair
Photo by John Hibbs, ND
By John Hibbs, ND

Funfair was introduced to dahlia lovers in 1963, one of the oldest varieties in my garden. 

That she’s kept our attention for so long is testimony to her spectacular color pattern and versatility in bouquets. 

Her blazing, spreading oranges, yellows and reds are most like the colors of a burning flame, captured in one moment in time.

Funfair’s blossoms are officially 6-8” in diameter, officially size B or medium; but when cutting is delayed for a day or two and she’s well-watered they can easily reach 9”. 

She blooms heartily on exceptionally long, strong stems; and with her upright presentation on stem she’s a strong contributor to bouquets.

Formal Decorative dahlia flower forms have “flat petals with an even, regular placement throughout the flowers” according to the website of Swan Island Dahlias, one of the region’s largest dahlia tuber retailers, and Informal Decorative blossoms have both some curl to the petals and less regular spacing.

Funfair is categorized Formal Decorative, but for my money she’s far from formal, having much play and curl to her petals, and is a great evidence that we just can’t capture all the possibilities in a simple categorization of shapes for something as varied as the world of dahlias. 

The 2018 Dahlias for Seniors fundraiser for the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center is bustling along; I’ve added a 3rd dahlia delivery day each week to our two sites and they are selling out in less than a day!

You can pick up a bouquet at the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center (18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after about 10:30am. And at the Ridgecrest Public House (520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155) Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays shortly after opening.

~~~~
John Hibbs, ND, supervises the naturopathic medicine shift held at the Senior Center on Mondays. Clinicians see children and adults for a fee of $15 to the Senior Center. For appointments, call the Center at 206-365-1536.



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Dahlia of the week: AC Casper

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Dahlia of the Week: AC Casper

By John Hibbs, ND

Has anyone been waiting for me to write about one of the big dahlias? I love the big ones too; it was they that first stole my heart at the King County Fair in Enumclaw when we moved to the PNW from Illinois in 1970.

AC Casper looks like a big, gorgeous – you guessed it – ghost! One of the purest white large dahlias around, his petals get longer towards the back of the bloom so that they drape a bit down the stem. I’ve not seen another large white dahlia variety that does this, and AC Casper seems the perfect name. I acquired ACC in this off season and am just plain excited to see him blooming in the garden!

Dahlia of the Week: AC Casper

AC Casper was introduced to dahlia lovers in 2014 by Ken Greenway in Snohomish, WA. ACC is officially an Informal Decorative dahlia in conformation, and size A, which means his blooms regularly span 8-10”. Like most “dinnerplate” dahlias, this one blooms on very thick, strong stems.

Unlike many this large the stems are relatively long, about 10-12”. With his upright presentation on the stem this length makes AC Casper easy to display in a vase and even include in a bouquet. A large bouquet, of course!

The 2018 Dahlias for Seniors fundraiser for the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center is going gangbusters; I’ve added a third dahlia delivery day each week to our two sites and they are selling out in less than a day!

You can pick up a bouquet at the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after about 10:30am. And at the Ridgecrest Public House, 520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155 Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays shortly after opening.



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Dahlia of the Week: Mazama

Friday, August 3, 2018

Dahlia of the Week – Mazama
Text and photos by John Hibbs, ND

Our second 2018 Dahlia of the Week is Mazama, hybridized and introduced by Connells Dahlias in East Tacoma in 2002.

A pale fuchsia, her 4'-6' blooms are classified size BB or small. Mazama officially has a waterlily form, describing the cuplike structure of alternating blunt-point petals 3-4 layers deep. 

Unlike the lovely Waterlily, no dahlias are particularly scented.

Mazama is a good, modest producer; a healthy plant can present 15-25 blossoms each week August through October in the PNW. 

Her blooms are strong-stemmed, sit upright, and last well in a bouquet. I have had Mazama in the garden for three seasons now, and she grows like a thoroughbred; one of my tallest plants each year can reach 8-9’! Not to worry -- it’s still easy to bend the trunk and cut flowers.
John's garden

The dahlias are thriving with all this heat, a little fertilizer and liberal watering, and Dahlias for Seniors is in gear. 

Once again promoting the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center, you can exchange donations for bouquets at the Ridgecrest Public House Tuesday to Sunday (fresh flowers Tuesday and Friday after 5pm) and at the  Senior Center (fresh on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 10:30am).

Located on the NE corner of 1st Ave NE and 185th NE in Shoreline 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155) the Senior Center would love to have you drop in for flowers and see what they're up to.



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Dahlia of the Week: Baron Katie

Friday, July 20, 2018

Baron Katie in the garden
Text and photos by John Hibbs, ND

The 2018 dahlia blooming season has begun, and along with it the Dahlias For Seniors 2018 fundraiser for the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center.

My tubers went into the ground on the first Saturday in May, and with the exceptionally warm, sunny Spring we had they are a few weeks ahead of schedule. 

Most of the 110 plants are between 3' and 5' tall and the large majority are producing many healthy buds. 

About 20 varieties have first flowers, with more opening each day.

The first 2018 Dahlia of the Week is one of my favorites, last year's champion bloomer -- Baron Katie.

Dahlia of the Week
Baron Katie
Baron Katie was first introduced to dahlia lovers in 2000. This is a magnificent plant, with more sturdy side trunks growing from the lower main than any other I've seen, each of which produces smaller uprights and many blooms.

Her red-orange-yellow petals make a 'flame blend" as they gracefully curl inward at their sides and twist on the long axis, making an impression bright, luscious and relaxed.

Thus Baron Katie is classified Informal Decorative. Her flowers are 5-6'' across, officially sized BB and middle-sized for a dahlia, presenting strongly upright on dependably long, strong stems.

Structurally perfect for cutting, her color and shape last very well in a bouquet. A backbone of the Dahlias for Seniors bouquets, I planted two clumps this year!

Baron Katie
You can pick up a bouquet in exchange for a donation at the Ridgecrest Public House 520 NE 165th St, Shoreline, and enjoy nice folks while you are there.

And this year, for the first time you can pick up a bouquet at the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center, the beneficiary of our most-colorful fundraiser.

Located on the NE corner of 1st Ave NE and 185th NE in Shoreline 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155) the Center would love to have you drop in for flowers and see what they're up to.


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Some are Really Late Bloomers

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Glory Daze dahlia
Dahlia and photo by John Hibbs, ND

By Jan Hansen

The Good Books tells us that many can be involved. Some plant, some water, and some harvest.

The planters are amazing people. They labor and leave at the end of a day with little or nothing visible. Many who pass by will not even notice or care about what was done in that time and space.

Acres of dahlias bloomed on this land
belonging to Alta M Wheeler in Seattle












May I share part of my story?

The planter in this chapter was my grandmother, Alta M. Wheeler. Her dreams so often became reality and on a scale that only those who dream can imagine. Grandma dreamed of flowers and began planting. Soon in the 1920’s, acres of Dahlias bloomed on the land that is now St. Demetrios Church in the Mountlake district of Seattle.

DahliaLand Gardens florist shop
Photo courtesy Museum of History and Industry

She dreamed of sharing the beauty and aroma of flowers, so a florist shop was brought into reality.

My father and mother worked there, where stems became bouquets, corsages, and arrangements on the tables of the highbrows of Seattle’s hills.

Dahlia tubers are not handsome. One cannot see beauty in the swiveled brown mass. Grandma dreamed and planted many things into my life. I barely noticed the tubers that she planted. Of course, looking back there were hints. Several times as a young child my picture was on the Dahlialand calendar.

Those tubers were awakened by the Shoreline Area News article this May: Dahlias for Senior Center: free dahlia tubers at the Senior Center May 22.

Dahlias grow quickly, once they break the surface.

I had a vision of planting and helping. Dr. John Hibbs was there to water. He whet my appetite to see the blooms. I want to see tubers and the Senior Center thrive and blossom. The tubers from May have broken ground. I’m seeing buds and dreaming of the colors.

Almost 100 years have passed. I so appreciate my grandma, Dr. John, and the community that did, does and will bring even more glory days (Glory Daze) to our Senior Center.



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Donations for dahlia tubers raise $245 for the Senior Center

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

By John Hibbs, ND

The Dahlias For Seniors season opener tuber giveaway was a great success! We had 25-30 visitors and about 300 tubers of 75 different varieties found homes. Plus we generated $245 for the Senior Center!

And maybe best of all, several tuber shoppers who had not visited the Center before explored the facility, observed our seniors in various activities and shared with me they did not realize what a great, vital place it is. This warmed my heart because it's really what the project is about.

75 varieties to choose from
Really - who needs a lawn?
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Other highlights: a couple people shared that they'd been following our Dahlia of the Week series and decided to start their own gardens!

And Martin Král, Shoreline citizen, historian and author on the subject of dahlias, and a backbone of the PSDA (Puget Sound Dahlia Association) and its annual exhibition at Sky Nursery (See previous article) donated his left-over tubers too, and helped out at the table.


5-24-18  corrected dollar amount in headline

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Dahlias for Senior Center: free dahlia tubers at the Senior Center May 22

Monday, May 14, 2018

John Hibbs' dahlia beds last August
Photo by John Hibbs

Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND, will reprise his Dahlias for the Senior Center fundraiser this summer during dahlia season.

Bouquets last summer at the
Ridgecrest Public House
Photo by John Hibbs
Hibbs, who supervises the naturopathic clinic at the Senior Center, is an avid dahlia grower. Last year, he started offering bouquets of mixed dahlias in return for a donation to the Senior Center.

He partnered with Bastyr University in Kenmore, the Ridgecrest Pub at 5th and 165th, and Vesper in the North City business district.

All of those locations purchased bouquets, with the money going to the Center.

The Ridgecrest Pub allowed customers to take bouquets for a donation, which also went the the Center. Hibbs set up a table in front of his house, so neighbors could get bouquets in return for a donation.

In all, the dahlias brought in over $2000 for the Senior Center.

Hibbs planted his dahlias last weekend
Photo by John Hibbs
It's planting time now. Hibbs has planted his dahlia beds and has the tubers of about 70 varieties left over this year. Says Hibbs,

I'm going to kick off the 2018 Dahlias For Seniors Project by having a tuber giveaway at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center from 9-11am on Tuesday May 22.

With the warm May weather dahlias should be blooming by the end of June.

For the first time, bouquets will also be available at the Center itself. Once blooming season starts, fresh blooms will be delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Ridgecrest Pub and Bastyr University will again be partners.

The Senior Center is in the stand-alone building at the south end of the Shoreline Center, at 1st NE and NE 185th.



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Dahlias for Senior Center: Last week for flowers ends with Glory Daze

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Glory Daze
Flower and photo by John Hibbs


I don’t know when Glory Daze was introduced to dahlia lovers. More obscure than other varieties in our series, she is still available from a limited number of sellers. The plants are hearty but not sturdy; ample stems are thin but no matter, as the flower is airy and still stands upright. The 3-4’ plants dependably produce many 4-6” blooms that last better than most other varieties in bouquets.

The bright yellow petals are long and narrow, radiating from the blossom’s center as they blush with pale orange, a classic Stellar dahlia form. Like so many other dahlia blooms that are painted with more than one color, in bouquets Glory Daze brightens and combines broadly with most color schemes.

This Tuesday is our last placement of new bouquets at the Ridgecrest Pub (5th NE and NE 165th) for this season.

The last of the crop will be at the Pub for a donation, all this week.

Thanks to everyone who supported this program to share flowers and bring in a little money for the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center.

--John Hibbs, ND


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Dahlias for Senior Center: I'm a Hottie

Sunday, October 1, 2017

I'm A Hottie
Photo by John Hibbs

I’m A Hottie was first introduced to dahlia lovers in 2006. The plant grows to 5-6’ tall and is so thick and sturdy it barely needs staking. Stems are long and very strong, and the flower stands upright making her excellent in large bouquets. Her form is described as Informal Decorative, and the blooms measure up to 8” across.

Most of my favorite dahlia blossoms have colors that variegate, blend and are hard to pin down. I’m A Hottie glows from within long, gently turning petals streaked with pinks and fuchsia.

She was very happy with the sun last week and will bloom solidly for at least two more weeks.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND. 



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Dahlias for Senior Center: Andrew Charles

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Andrew Charles
Photo by John Hibbs, ND


Andrew Charles was first introduced to dahlia lovers in 2010.

His rich golden orange blooms present abundantly on a 5’ bush with long sturdy stems and an upright presentation.

Long-lasting in bouquets, it’s a very good cut flower. 

Officially a 4-6” wide Informal Decorative form, Andrew’s petals splay playfully from his center, sometimes behaving, sometimes like long floppy ears. The bloom’s depth is shallow for size; and the yellows, reds, gold and occasional hints of rose cause this flower to combine and contrast well with just about every other flower possible in a bouquet.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND. 



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Dahlias for the Senior Center: Appleblossom

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Appleblossom dahlia
Photo by John Hibbs


Appleblossom was first introduced to Dahlia lovers in 1986. She is a "collarette", having a planar layer of petals behind a collared open center. Very attractive to pollinators, the blooms appear prolifically on a 4' bush and have long thin stems for cutting, often multiple blooms to a stem.

Her outer petals are a soft buttercream blend of whites and yellows that blush to a delicate peach, more as the nights get colder in late season. A pink collar of shortened petals surrounds her intricate orange center.

This color scheme combines well with Café au Lait, featured in SAN three weeks ago. The delicate blooms begin to lose petals sooner in a bouquet than some varieties, especially in hot weather, so are best cut before fully open.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND.



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Dahlias for Senior Center: Crazy 4 Jessie

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Crazy 4 Jessie
Photo by John Hibbs


Crazy 4 Jessie was introduced to dahlia lovers in 2009. With her eccentric Incurved Cactus form and luscious coloring, she is another favorite and common prize winner.

The 4-6" blooms are cherry-to-magenta-red with bright yellow streaking towards their centers. They are produced prolifically on a 3'-4' tall plant.

It is another excellent cutter, presenting upright on long sturdy stems and lasting well in bouquets.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND.



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Dahlias for Senior Center: Cafe au Lait

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Café au Lait
Photo by John Hibbs

Café au Lait was introduced to dahlia lovers in 2005. She blooms heavily for such a large flower, producing large blooms 8-10” across on a robust plant that grows up to 4’ tall with sturdy stalks and leaves.

Café au Lait is gorgeous and unusual in her coloring, an exquisite creamy pink/peach with beige overtones.

Blossoms present upright on excellent strong stems; it’s a great cutter, long-lasting in bouquets and a wedding favorite.

Informal Decorative form – this means it has extra layers of petals, petals are broad and flat and likely to wave and flare, giving them a lovely playful look.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND.



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Dahlias for Senior Center - sale day at Foss Farmers Market

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Janice Bellotti-Pace
Photo by John Hibbs

Janice Bellotti-Pace, Board member of the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center, helped sell dahlias at the Foss Home and Village Farmers Market on Saturday, August 26, 2017.

The dahlias were grown by Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND. Dr. Hibbs supervises a weekly naturopathic shift at the Senior Center, and sells the blooms as a donation to the Center.

"Foss could not have been nicer," Hibbs said. "They wanted to support the Senior Center and did everything they could to make our booth a success."

Today's sale, at $1 a stem, brought in $230, all of which goes to the Senior Center. Hibbs will continue to donate his blooms through the Ridgecrest Pub, 520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155.

You can pick up a bouquet at the Pub for a donation to the Senior Center.

updated 8-26-17



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Dahlias for sale at Foss Farmers Market will benefit our Senior Center

Wednesday, August 23, 2017


Foss Home and Village, 13023 Greenwood Ave N in Seattle will hold a Farmers Market on Saturday, August 26, 2017.

Ridgecrest resident Dr. John Hibbs will have a booth there to sell his dahlias with all proceeds going to the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center.



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Dahlias for Senior Center

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Oregon Reign
Photo by John Hibbs
Oregon Reign
7-9" blooms
4-6' tall
Form: Informal Decorative

Strong stems, great cutter and holds up well in bouquets


The dahlias are starting to bloom and Shoreline resident Dr. John Hibbs is back with his project to raise money for the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center.

Hibbs is a dahlia grower, with 75 varieties in his Ridgecrest yard. He has partnered with the Ridgecrest Public House and Bastyr University to provide bouquets of dahlias.

The Pub offers the bouquets in return for a donation to the Senior Center, where Hibbs supervises a weekly naturopathic medicine shift.

Suggested donation is $1 a stem.

The Senior Center, which took a significant financial hit last year when United Way decided to concentrate its funding elsewhere, can use the money.

Last year, Hibbs raised $1670 for the Senior Center with his blooms. He is hoping to bring in more this year. Bastyr is partnering with him once again. Last year they took 100 blooms a week for six weeks and contributed $600.

Bastyr used the flowers to decorate events, acknowledge employees, grace Board meetings, offices, and cafeteria tables.

You can pick up a bouquet at the Ridgecrest Public House, located at 520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155 in the Ridgecrest business district, open 4pm – 12am seven days a week.



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