Chicago Park 4-H Flower Arranging project has had a great time this 4-H year in spite of Covid restrictions and the cancelling the 2020 County Fair. During the Fall we met outside, less than 10 folks, with all 4-H safety guidelines. Our project meetings were held at Dinner Bell Farm in Chicago Park. In October the members were able to pick buckets of lovely flowers before the plants were turned underground for the off season. Molly, a professional flower grower and arranger, showed the youth how to blend flowers with green filler and how to coordinate colors. Everyone took home a bouquet and bucket of flowers to work on at home.

Right after Thanksgiving we went to Dinner Bell Farm again. The youth members learned to make holiday wreaths using various evergreens, dried flowers and bows. Everyone's favorite was the juniper with blue seed pods – not only beautiful but a heavenly fragrance! We were not able to meet during the Covid surge following the holidays, but no flowers were blooming anyway.

4-H allowed outdoor meetings again just in time for Valentine's Day. Safeway donated two large bouquets two days after Valentine's Day. That gave us large hot pink roses, ferns, Baby's Breath, red carnations and pink lilies. Each member made a bud vase arrangement to take home and two to give a resident of an assisted living facility. We have some real talent in our project.

We are looking forwards to Mother's Day, hoping for more flower donations from Raley's afterwards. We plan to make more bud vase arrangements for nursing home residents. If anyone would like to donate bud vases, we need many. Contact Sue Ramey, 575-9455 or rameys@pvcplans.com.