By: Emma Goossen

Vibrant pinks, yellows, and oranges are all precisely placed together—each beautiful flower playing a part in creating a breathtaking bouquet. Stunning floral arrangements like these have made their way into the hands of over 350 Blackford County residents during the last growing season. All grown, arranged, and delivered by one woman, Carolee Snyder, and her team of volunteers. 

Snyder is a former herb and lavender farmer, author, and blogger with a love for flowers who has found a way to share that passion with her community. “I feel like you’re supposed to use the talents that you have for good, and my talent is growing,” Snyder said.

In the fall of 2020, Snyder discovered the “Growing Kindness Project,” which connects flower growers from all over the world with one goal: to grow and give away flowers.

The project was started by Deanna Kitchen, a flower farmer from Washington state, who, one year, grew more flowers than she knew what to do with. She decided to start giving the flowers away to people in her community. After seeing these colorful gifts’ positive effects, she started the Growing Kindness Project. Through her website, Kitchen has gathered a rapidly growing community of people who have started reaching their own communities, spreading kindness through the simple act of giving someone flowers. It doesn’t matter how big or small someone’s garden is, anyone can take part in spreading kindness. 

In the fall of 2021, Snyder decided to bring this kindness to Blackford County. She started collecting and meticulously planning just what flowers she would grow to be given away the next summer. After much planning, April 2022 marked the official beginning with the first bouquet, a collection of daffodils, being delivered. From this simple beginning blossomed something far more significant than she expected.

It all starts with a name and address given to Snyder by those who see her advertisements on Facebook. From there, people message her personally with the request, and she adds the name to her list of those who will receive a free bouquet. Family, friends, neighbors, or anyone in Blackford County you think could benefit from a bit of kindness can receive flowers. To add to the excitement, the recipient has no idea who has nominated them to receive flowers. 

Snyder then prepares the number of bouquets for the week depending on how many names she has received. Every collection of flowers she adds comes together to make a perfectly balanced creation, with complementing colors, some for height, some for texture. The finished bouquets are placed in plastic water bottles that have been cut in half to accommodate the group of stems. A ribbon is then tied around the engineered vase that holds a note with simple words of encouragement. Then, the flowers are then ready for delivery. 

Snyder has delivered flowers all over Blackford, personally putting them into the hands of those whose names she has received. Snyder shared that by delivering the flowers herself, she has gotten to experience the community in a new way. She has been taken to new places and met people that she never would have otherwise. “I think it’s done more to make me feel a part of this community than . . . anything else,” she said.

Members of the Blackford community have also stepped up to help with delivering and other parts of the process, including the local Rotary Club. Snyder has also received support through the donation of the plastic bottles that she uses as vases. “I’m learning a lot about our community,” Snyder said. “There’s a lot of really good people in this area.”

The impact of these flowers goes beyond simply being a nice gift. They have helped the community of Blackford by offering a glimpse of kindness and a reminder that someone cares. Gary and Debbie Cheesman are two Blackford community residents who witnessed the effect of the Growing Kindness Project firsthand. They have been on the receiving end of this project, with Debbie’s mother receiving flowers, and also the helping end, by helping deliver flowers. In a phone interview with Debbie, she spoke of the excited reaction her mother had in wondering who had thought to send her flowers. Through their connection with the local Rotary Club, they have also been able to give back by helping to deliver several bouquets. It was an experience the Debbie described as, “so much fun, to see how much people enjoy just knowing someone was thinking of them and to take the time to bring them flowers.” 

There are many other stories in Blackford just like this one, stories of kindness and the joy that Snyder’s bouquets have brought to the community. “You’re not only delivering flowers,” Lindsey Bernice Rogers wrote on Facebook, “you are delivering uplifting smiles.”

In the coming years, Snyder hopes to continue growing and giving away bouquets, but also hopes those who hear of her work and the impact it has will realize that they, too, can take part in spreading kindness. You don’t need a huge garden or hours of dedication to plant a few flowers and give them to someone who could use a bit of joy, she said. 

If you are interested in helping Carolee Snyder spread the joy next spring, you can contact her through Facebook on the Hartford City Happenings page. To learn more about the Growing Kindness Project, visit https://www.growingkindnessproject.org/. You can follow along with Snyder’s gardening journey by visiting her blog, https://herbalblessingsblog.wordpress.com/.