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Blackwell OK News

Oct 15, 2020

If a sunflower blooms in a city, does it make a difference? - Columbia Chronicle

When living in an urban environment, it can be easy to disconnect from Mother Nature, said Quilen Blackwell, president of Chicago Eco House. Because of this, the group is there to establish a new connection between human beings and nature by turning vacant lots into 100% sustainable flower farms. “The industry in the United States is pretty small for flowers; about 80% of the flowers that you see at the market come from overseas,” Blackwell said. “Very few urban flower farmers are located within the city.” Despite this, McHugh believes Chicago is a great place for urban agriculture. “Unlike New York City or Los Angeles, we are situated in the middle of some of the most productive agriculture in the world, some of the finest soils, even though they have been degraded in the city,” McHugh said. This year a miscommunication between McHugh and an equipment operator who was taking care of the flowers resulted in the sunflowers accidentally being cut down before they had time to bloom in late August. Sunflowers are native to Chicago and able to endure rough conditions but can harm pollinators, such as bees and grasshoppers looking for nectar, when cut down before it is time to harvest them, Hoffman-Trotter said. “If you cut them down before they have the chance to go to flower, it is going to deprive all those pollinator species of the nectar that they depend on,” Hoffman-Trotter said. Even though it is only Sunflower City’s third year of operation and the sunflowers were cut earlier than expected, McHugh hopes these seasonal flowers will bloom again next year to bring joy and sustainability to the Washington Park area. “When something beautiful is within one’s own neighborhood, that is shown to have a different effect from when that same natural beauty is halfway across town,” McHugh said.

Oct 12, 2018

Tropical Storm Florence: Couple reschedules wedding due to storm, donates flowers to cancer patients

Riser said. Atrium Health's Laura Blackwell called it a bright spot for patients, WSOC reported. "The patients were thrilled when they saw all the beautiful flowers being brought in. We're happy to know that they were going to (be) able to get those flowers when they left today from their infusion," she said. While North Carolina remains under the cloud of now-Tropical Storm Florence, the patients who took home those fresh flowers will have a reminder that there are good things in the world. "To think they would be so generous that they would want to contribute to the community and be so concerned about the joy of people they didn't know is pretty special," Blackwell said. "That doesn't happen very often and it's always a blessing to be able to see that." © 2018 Cox Media Group. ...

Mar 8, 2018

Brookdale Riverwalk seniors, staff hand out flowers, kindness

I’m sure it’ll make other people’s days, too,” she said.While making people’s days a little brighter was a major focus of the event, resident Juanita Blackwell said getting out of Brookdale Riverwalk also does a lot of good for the residents’ health, physically, emotionally and spiritually.“We need to be out with other people. We need to be out doing something,” she said. “You can feel pretty hemmed in if you just stay here all the time. You can get to feeling old. Just because I’m 90 doesn’t mean I need to feel old.”Newman said participating in events like Random Acts of Kindness Day makes the residents feel that they are making a difference in the community, even if it’s a small, short-lived one.“It isn’t just the recipient who feels better. I think the giver is rewarded even more,” she said. “To think you’ve made someone, even if for a very brief time, enjoy the day more and feel better about themselves is a great thing.”Brookdale Senior Living Inc. operates senior living communities throughout the United States. The company operates independent- and assisted-living centers, dementia-care facilities, and continuing-care retirement centers.Brookdale also offers outpatient therapy, home health and hospice services. (The Bakersfield Californian)

Mar 9, 2017

California Today: Awaiting a Wildflower Explosion

California is still rich with wildflowers. And after our rainy winter, “it should be a spectacular year,” said Laird Blackwell, who shared the Muir anecdote and wrote the guidebook “Wildflowers of California.”In late February and early March, wildflowers begin to peep out on the low-lying coast, deserts and Central Valley. Over time, the blooms make an ascent up the hills, and eventually into the mountains by summer.Here are a few parks where you can catch some of the first peak flowers of the season:• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, about 70 miles northeast of San DiegoSome of the biggest, most varied blooms in California unfold here. Sally Theriault, who manages the visitor center, said the park’s wildflowers — including desert sunflowers, notch-leaved phacelia and spectacle pod — had already come to life. Peak bloom was expected sometime next week.“We had perfect rains this year,” Ms. Theriault said. “The plants have just been growing, growing, growing, growing.”• Death Valley National Park, between Fresno and Las VegasPark officials here did not expect a repeat of last year’s so-called superbloom, when the valley was blanketed in white, lavender, pink and gold.But even a modest bloom feels like something of a miracle in this foreboding landscape. The park said on its Facebook page that its southern reaches had begun to see blooms, including globemallows.• Antelope Valley California Popp...