Flowers for strangers

Dumfries and District Flower Club took part in the Lonely Bouquet Campaign last month and individual club members designed bouquets of flowers which were left for passers-by to find.
Each posy had a note attached explaining that it was a gift to celebrate national flower arranging week and should be taken home and enjoyed.
Club president Lisa Callander-Bone announced the Lonely Bouquet campaign on the club Facebook page and was amazed by the public reaction.
She said: “I explained that we would be leaving ‘lonely bouquets’ around the area to promote national flower arranging week and was amazed to find that just short of 5000 people viewed our post with many sharing or commenting on it being a lovely idea.
“I was deeply touched to later hear that two of the bouquets had been found by bereaved parents who were touched to find a symbolic message of hope in a lonely bouquet.
“It was such a pleasure for our members to take part in this campaign.”
Fragrant flowers were left in a variety of places such as supermarket shopping trolleys, public benches, walking routes and shop windowsills and each was found and rehomed.
Since news of the activity spread locally, two supermarkets have now indicated that they would be happy to donate some flowers for members to make into more bouquets next year.