August 15, 2009
Denis Flanagan CLD
Director of public relations

Denis FlanaganAn important part of branding Landscape Ontario through our Green for Life campaign is to celebrate how effective our members are in their local communities. I spend a great deal of time promoting our message throughout the province. Recently, I gave a presentation in my home town to members of the Stouffville Horticultural Society. I was delighted to receive a letter, printed below, outlining one of the most unique community partnerships I have seen.

Please forward me any similar experiences you may have been involved in, so that we may publish the information in this space.
 

Stouffville Horticultural Society


Dear Denis,

Thank you for your words and the generous donation to the Society. You asked us to use it towards getting young people interested in gardening. We think we have found the perfect project.

Bill Edmondson at the Stouffville high school is running a gourmet club for students, where the participants cook and serve lunches to the school’s students, and dinners to the public once a month for a small fee.

Richter’s Herbs, in conjunction with a group called Edible Schoolyard, supplied soil and seeds to Glad Park Public School. These seeds are now ready for transplanting. They are going to be planted at Parkview Seniors’ Residence, where residents have agreed to care for them during the summer. When school resumes in the fall, the produce will be harvested for the Gourmet Club.

In the fall, we hope to secure reservations and invite you to the Gourmet Club’s dinner.

We will continue to reach out to residents who are like-minded in our love affair with all things horticultural and where we can learn how to protect the environment. We offer newcomers a great way to make new friends and contribute to the community.

As always, your talk was informative, witty and greatly enjoyed by our members. We hope you have more time for your garden this summer and look forward to your next talk.

Sincerely,
June O’Donnell, Treasurer, Stouffville Horticultural Society
 

GFL media buzz


Here are just a few media outlets who featured the Green for Life message in June and July:
  • 103.9 PROUD-FM website
  • CBC television segment
  • MetroNews Calgary website
  • Rogers TV Daytime show
  • Hardware and Home Centre magazine website

Send your GFL media sightings to rob@landscapeontario.com
 
Denis Flanagan may be contacted at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.