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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Turning trash into flowers blooming nice idea for charity

By: Melissa Martin

Posted: 02/18/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Getty Stewart holds a bouquet of flowers made out of recycled materials. Monies raised will go to Habitat for Humanity.

Mark your calendars: on March 20, 1,000 flowers will bloom in Winnipeg.

No, it's not global warming making a bold opening move. In fact, the pretty flowers, which will sprout at The Forks on the banks of the Assiniboine River, aren't even the work of nature. These blossoms will be made from margarine tubs. Fast-food wrappers. Old record sleeves. Scrap metal. You know, trash.

And you can help -- and help charity -- by getting your hands dirty. On Feb. 20, the Lord Roberts Community Centre will host a public flower-crafting workshop from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for kids and adults. More petal-pushing drives are scheduled at plantitforward.ca.

"Part of our thing is making this a great place to live and sprucing it up," said Getty Stewart, one of the leaders of the Plant It Forward project, which will benefit Habitat for Humanity. "So we thought, how can we make that impact and get everyone involved?" The idea for Plant It Forward germinated in early 2009 when, to cheer up a winter-weary Winnipeg, IBEX Payroll co-owner Stewart stuck a sign near the Osborne Street overpass. She decorated the sign with five Styrofoam tulips.

"Winnipeg, do not fear, SPRING is near!" the banner read. The jaunty result -- incongruous against the gritty roadside snow -- sparked an idea. "I looked at it and said, 'Can you imagine if we had 1,000 of these?' " Stewart said. Soon, she will. Thanks to crafty helpers at spots including Luxton School, Art City and Ecole Riverview, Stewart and Co. have already collected 325 of the colourful "flowers." Another 600 are pledged.

"We just love this project idea," says Art City director Cam Forbes. The Broadway art centre hosted 75 flower-makers, most between the ages of eight and 12, last week.

"We knew it would be a big hit here because it allowed kids to experiment. Flowers can be anything and to make something that lived one life, live a second life is fun for them."

Can't craft a flower? No problem: IBEX, which launched its award-winning Clean Your Green charity initiative in 2006, is challenging other businesses to donate to Plant It Forward. Stewart hopes the project will raise $30,000 for the charity. Members of the public will also be able to "buy" a flower by Habitat donation after the display goes up on March 20.

And don't forget, a March garden in good ol' Winterpeg begs for bragging rights. "We keep getting emails from my mother-in-law on Vancouver Island saying 'it's so lovely here!' " Stewart sighed. "Hopefully, now we can send postcards to B.C. and say 'look, Winnipeg blossomed first!' "

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 18, 2010 A2

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