Springing For A Cause

It’s an incredibly busy time right now. The garden of course is taking up most of my attention. Both PlantFest and Open Day are coming up this weekend and the following Saturday respectively. With so much else also making demands on my time, it’s easy to question why I’m taking on all the work. The answer is really quite simple – to make a difference.

I started the Printed Garden line of products because I wanted to step up my game in helping children with HIV/AIDS at the Mukta Jeevan orphanage. It has been ten years since I first met the children and began my work of fund-raising for their educational needs. As they got older, their needs became bigger. Having a consistent source of funds in addition to generous donors became imperative. Using my art for the cause seemed elementary. I have the products available on-line but pop-up shop opportunities give me the added chance to engage with the public, receive feedback, make new friends and gain more support. Work that can often feel lonely needs these human interactions to reassure and reaffirm my purpose.

TeaTown is in itself a most worthy cause. If you aren’t familiar with this local treasure and its mission, do look up their website. The PlantFest marks their spring fund raiser, with myriad plants for sale, it gets the community into a gardening state of mind and kicks off the season for TeaTown’s Wildflower Island. My participation in this event is win-win all around. Definitely worth my effort.

The Open Days Program of the Garden Conservancy is one of those great ideas that pleases and informs the population at large so much that it is easy to forget that it actually serves a bigger purpose. The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve landmark gardens across America. This takes a huge amount of effort, man power and funds. The Open Days program, raises awareness and monies to that end. However, it also provides gardeners and garden lovers an opportunity to visit private gardens, learn about new or unfamiliar plants, designs and horticultural practices. Once again, like PlantFest, it brings together people in a most beautiful way. I’ve been a garden host for this event for about ten years and I’m just as honored to do so now as when I was first approached by the Conservancy about putting my garden in their Open Day program. It’s all good.

In supporting the Garden Conservancy this way, I have met and befriended some amazing people, increased my horticultural knowledge and, acquired some pretty nice plants from those generous souls. If working like a possessed person preparing my garden for its Open Day gets me new friends and plants, well then, here I am – in the thick of manic gardening.

I’ve watched friendships between garden visitors blossom and it wouldn’t surprise me if garden visiting MeetUps become the coolest thing.

So come, join me at PlantFest and in my garden to celebrate the season, life and the sheer joy of being alive.

Note: at both events you can stock up on my products – they make beautiful and functional gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, bridal and wedding showers, housewarmings, host/hostess, teacher appreciation, yourself. 100% of the profits go to support the children at Mukta Jeevan orphanage.

Attention! Rocky Hills’ Open Day is on May 19 as well! A not to be missed garden!