Tag: flowers

The Flower Angels Thrift Store: A Must-See for Bargain Hunters in Yarmouth

Charming floral arrangements set in a teacup have warmed the spaces and spirits of lonely seniors in residential care homes for nearly a decade. To date, more than 55,684 of these individually handcrafted bouquets utilizing over 104,799 volunteer hours have been assembled and twice weekly delivered by The Flower Angels, a self-funded project of Community Connections, an organization that provides day habilitation, a wide variety of life and vocational skills, and social engagement opportunities and programs to individuals with disabilities, the

Spreading Love and Hope in South Yarmouth

Flower Angels began its mission to address the isolation and loneliness felt by elderly patients in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice centers, and hospitals.  Before the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic, Individuals enrolled in Community Connections programs were very active in the flower deliveries, and as restrictions begin to lift in the facilities the hope is that the Community Connections group will once again be able to take on the enriching and involved roll in the community that they so enjoy.

Crafting Connections in Yarmouth: The Heart of The Flower Angels Workshop

In the meantime, volunteers gather on Mondays and Thursdays at the workshop to pick apart and artfully reassemble the bundles of buds and blossoms generously donated by local grocery stores, wedding venues, and funeral homes, and adhere the teacups with the complimentary saucers that will serve as the base.  Adele Lally, Workshop Coordinator, also manages the team of committed volunteers who come week after week.

Support a Worthy Cause: Visit The Flower Angels Thrift Store in Yarmouth

Like the workshop, the Flower Angels Thrift Store in South Yarmouth is made possible by contributions of gifts and donations from the community. The Flower Angels Thrift Store opened in June of 2022 and recently celebrated its Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce. Often landmarked by its colorfully illustrated namesake van parked in the front of the lot, the thrift shop/workshop combo is conveniently located on Rt. 28 in the Lighthouse Landing Shopping Plaza. Though it is clearly visible from the street the shop, while swiftly approaching its first birthday, is still a pleasant surprise to many who walk through its doors.  

Explore Hidden Treasures in Yarmouth at The Flower Angels Thrift Store

Thrift Store Manager Tara Weatherbee says, “I feel like a lot of people still don’t realize that this is a thrift store.” She elaborates, “We are here to support the amazing mission that the Flower Angels do. And it’s shopping for a great cause! I think it’s still not out there that the thrift store exists.” It makes sense. While the Flower Angels are locally renowned for the heartwarming arrangements handmade in the adjoining workshop, they don’t yet seem to conjure the collective minds of bargainers on the hunt for an exhilarating thrift. Nevertheless, it has begun to gain traction with a small following of dedicated shoppers who stop in regularly to peruse the store and lay claim to the newest trinkets that adorn the shelves. What you won’t find at the Flower Angels Thrift Store is junk. Each piece selected to be put out for sale is ready to be gifted or enjoyed on display at home. Much of what can be found here are boutique-quality items for genuine thrift store prices.

Uncover Unique Finds for a Good Cause in Yarmouth

This seemingly secret-in-plain-sight thrift store contains such an unexpected bounty it’s easy to lose track of the minutes spent browsing and chatting with the friendly staff. It has a cottage-chic meets favorite-auntie’s-closet vibe, with lots of framed wall art, and a rack of tenderly used pocketbooks and clutches. Silk scarves, table linens, and beautifully presented hydrangeas and azaleas are displayed for sale amid vintage garden-themed coffee table books and magazines. Unique pieces of sparkling costume jewelry are tucked away like Easter eggs amongst milky pastel glass vases, decorative baskets, and lacey doilies. A family of gently worn gnomes sits in wait amongst a display of garden tools, ceramic and terra cotta planters, and seed packets.

Tara mentions plans to expand the thrift store space to make room for more home highlight pieces. “Right now our main focus is going to be adding accent piece furniture, we are looking for small furniture pieces as well as gently or new garden items. Fairy garden stuff, gnomes, flowerpots, and any kind of gardening tools that are gently used. That’s what we’re focused on.” She goes on to say, “We do normally advertise what we’re looking for on social media, our Facebook page.

New items pop up as quickly as they disappear off the shelves. “People will call me or they will just show up during the hours that I’m open and they just bring in donations,” Tara mentions, as a customer carrying her chosen creamy leather handbag boasting a $7 price tag in the crook of her elbow, eyeballs a blue whale glug pitcher still with its original tags, and an additional handwritten price tag of $3.50. Minutes later Tara rings up the purchase and hands the smiling patron their carefully packed paper bag of merchandise. The bells hanging on the door jingle on her way out, and a breeze flutters the sheer curtains of the front window as it closes behind her.

Visit the Flower Angels Thrift Store

851 Route 28 #3, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Current Thrift Store Hours are Wednesday- Saturday 10-3

Starting Mid-May the hours will be Tuesday-Saturday 10-4

Do you want to support the cause? Donations to the Flower Angels are always welcome.

The Flower Angels are delighted to present another “Flowers After Hours” event on May 22nd from 5:30 pm -7:30 pm at the workshop.

At this event, you will make a floral arrangement to bring home for yourself or a loved one. The Thrift Store will also be open for shopping during this time. Tickets are limited and available for purchase.

(Britt Skinner is a freelance writer.)

This blog is funded through the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Revenue Preservation Fund.

Another Cape Cod Spring Has Arrived

Finally. At long last the lingering, biting Cape Cod winter is breaking into Spring. The final crests of snow have melted away to reveal the stretch and yawn of the first crocuses, and the impatient shoots of eager daffodils. The Spring Peepers can be heard in the bogs and marshes, the Ospreys have returned to their platforms to nest, and the local gardeners have thumbs that are growing greener with each passing mild day. So many of us are itching to get outside and rake the leaves, amend our soils, and stock our greenhouses. Novice gardeners or those who are new to Cape have a lot of things to consider, especially with botanical projects that can take months of love and attention to detail before the gorgeous and often delicious payoff. Seasoned growers will advise utilizing native plants whenever possible, that are cold hardy, and appreciative of our sandy soil and local pollinators, but even experienced gardeners will benefit from up-to-date information as standards and recommendations develop over time. C.L. Fornari is a gardening guru residing in Sandwich, co-host of Plantrama podcast, and author of several books about gardening on Cape Cod, and when asked to share her expertise she was happy to oblige.

When Fornari moved to the Cape in 1993 she was unable to find a book about Cape Cod gardening, so she wrote it herself. She has since written several books about gardening on Cape Cod, with her book Sand and Soil being the most recent. She goes on to explain how local gardening standards have changed significantly in the past 30ish years since her first Cape gardening book was published in the mid-90s. “The plants that we thought were great at that time have proven to be not so desirable. Some plants that were commonly sold at that time are now “banned in Boston” (and the rest of the Commonwealth) because they are invasive. And there are new pests, diseases, and plants that people should know about. It was for those reasons and more that I wrote a new book about Cape Cod gardening and didn’t just update the original one.”

Leave the Leaves?

While we may be ready to banish the leaf piles from our flowerbeds, Mother Nature has other ideas. The leaves that have been insulating our lawns and Spring bulbs all winter have also been providing shelter for overwintering bees and butterflies, and although the sight of tulip leaves peeking through the crisp remnants of fall is enough to have us reaching for the rake, we of course also want to be mindful of the sleepy pollinators who are about to once again embark upon the priceless work that our very existence depends on. What are we to do?

Fornari answers, “This question is a great example of how standard landscaping practices have changed in the past ten years, and how we’re all called to be more flexible in our thinking.  Back in the day, we did a “fall clean up” and a “spring cleanup.” All the leaves were removed in those clean sweeps, and usually (horrors!) removed from the property. Now we know better about the value of leaves for plants and pollinators. But it’s not either or.” She tells us that although you’ll see posts talking about waiting to clean up a garden until temperatures are above 50, there is no hard science behind that number. “Homeowners need to know that it’s not all or nothing. You can remove some leaves anytime, take others out in May, and leave some in place as Nature intended.”

When it comes to amending soil, Fornari contends that we should never assume that our soil needs improving, pointing out the thousands of mosses, trees, and all the plants in between that thrive comfortably without help. She recommends grouping plants that we know have soil requirements, (using Hydrangeas as an example), in areas where we can amend the soil from the top down, adding “Soil ‘improvement’ practices have changed in the past twenty years. We know now that tilling, digging, and replacing native soils should be avoided whenever possible.”

Gardens this time of year tend to be limited to early perennials including favorites like basket-of-gold and bleeding heart, so Fornari suggests adding pansies to your space for a burst of color and a touch of cheer.

The Green Spot Opens for Business

Pansies are what Jim Behnke, owner of The Green Spot Garden Center, says are his biggest seller this time of year. The 4 decades-old family-owned garden center has a nursery and 2 greenhouses on-site in addition to a full line of annuals, perennials, roses, shrubs, and trees. Jim looks forward to seeing early patrons popping in for seed starters and specialty soils, and to check out the annual specials of things like Miracle Grow and Hollytone. They have onions and garlic in stock, followed soon by cold-loving plants like lettuce and broccoli, and a few weeks after that, potato seedlings. For those of us rushing to get started on our veggie gardens, Jim warns not so fast. “The biggest thing you have to pay attention to is weather,” he cautions, mentioning that it won’t be time to get many crops in the ground until up to May and June in some cases. “Sometimes you gotta pinch yourself and remember to be patient.”

The Green Spot is located at 1085 Route 28 in South Yarmouth and is open seven days a week from 9-5.

This blog is funded through the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Revenue Preservation Fund.

(Britt Skinner is a freelance writer.)