By Apartment and Cottage Resident, Linda Dove

Each Wednesday just before lunch, more than 50 colorful fresh flower arrangements and vases magically appear throughout the Bishop Gadsden campus – in the Café, Winningham Court reception, the Clinic, the Pharmacy, and always one of the most interesting on the Concierge Desk in Trawick Commons.

Who creates these special arrangements that add so much to the vitality and beauty of life at BG? Time to go behind the scenes with the often-invisible elves who make up Bishop Gadsden’s Flower Guild.

The Flower Guild goes back almost to the beginning of Bishop Gadsden’s history on James Island. Resident Carol McLaren, one of the longest serving members, has been helping out for over 20 years. “It’s gotten to be a bigger and bigger undertaking as the campus has grown but there have been residents providing flowers throughout the building for almost two decades,” says Carol. She especially cites the leadership of Martha Roberts, who was one of first chairs and who led the Guild for many years.

Kay Meek, the current Guild chair, is beginning her 9th year with the group. Kay spends 5 to 6 hours each week securing, transporting, arranging and delivering the weekly flower vases around the campus. It is a time-consuming project and one she works on in addition to the many hours she records in her role as chair of the community garden, another source of beauty for BG residents.

Guild members and friends gather each Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. in the Art Loft. Eight to twelve residents sit at one of the long tables covered with stems of green and stalks of colorful blooms. Vases of various sizes are spaced up and down the area and there is much conversation on exactly how to best show off the look of the week’s flowers.

“It’s a great team effort,” says Kay. “Everyone brings their own talent to the process. We have several members who had professional careers in the flower industry. A number of others who were part of their local church’s flower group, and then, quite a few residents who have never worked with flowers at all. There’s a place for everyone. And, I should add, we really have a lot of fun on Wednesday mornings!”

Berthe Cowles is one of the ‘flower professionals’ and often shares a quick lesson about the names and background of the week’s flowers. She spent much of her life as a volunteer arranging flowers at church or helping friends plan weddings before deciding it was easier to open her own company. Berthe often creates some of the larger vases including those in Myers Hall or the Clinic.

Guild member Kathy Harms coordinates the selection and ordering of the flowers, working with Horst Florist. She devises a monthly plan for the flower orders, which allows her to emphasize a variety of choices and highlight flowers currently in bloom. In addition to her work ordering the flowers, Kathy most often creates the special arrangement on the Concierge Desk.

Kathy does have one rule when placing her order: “We don’t use flowers that have strong smells. A number of people have reactions to odors, especially from flowers. Beautiful as they are, no lilies.”

Kay, Kathy or one of the other Guild members drives to Horst Florist in West Ashley to pick up the flowers each Tuesday afternoon, carefully storing them overnight in the Art Loft. “It’s quite a load,” says Kay. “Fills my car and a whole section of the Art Loft on Tuesdays.”

Members make the campus rounds on Tuesday mornings collecting the arrangements from the previous week, washing and preparing the vases for reuse on Wednesday morning. “I always miss the flowers when I go to the Cafe on Tuesday nights,” says Kay.

Unlike many florists, the Flower Guild recently began to use bendable wire rather than blocks of green Oasis in their larger arrangements. “We like the clean look that vases with clear water provide,” reports Kay. “We are happy to share this technique.”

"Most importantly, “ says Kay, “come visit us in the Art Loft on Wednesday mornings. Stop by. We love to have visitors and we always welcome new members. It’s a happy place and a great group."