Debra Prinzing

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Episode 361: Plants and Blooms ReImagined with Horticultural Therapist and Visionary Kaifa Anderson-Hall

Wednesday, August 8th, 2018

Kaifa Anderson-Hall (left), founder of Plants and Blooms Reimagined, with me after the Slow Flowers Summit 2018.

Kaifa Anderson-Hall collecting flowers from Phillippa Tarrant Floral Design in Washington, D.C.

I’ve enjoyed so many amazing and rewarding experiences in recent months, including spending time with today’s guest, with whom I’ve connected at two important events. I’m so happy to introduce you to Kaifa Anderson-Hall, founder and visionary of Plants and Blooms Reimagined, a socially-minded floral program based in Washington, D.C.

I first met Kaifa in June at the American Horticultural Society’s annual awards banquet where she was recognized as a Great American Gardener award recipient for significant contributions to the field of horticultural therapy. I was a fellow recipient there to accept the AHS Frances Jones Poetker Award for contributions to the field of floristry, so it was a significant night for both of us.

It was so meaningful that Kaifa attended the Slow Flowers Summit just one week later, allowing us to spend a little more time together in her hometown.

Plants and Blooms Reimagined

As I mentioned, Kaifa is the founder of Plants and Blooms Reimagined. She began the program inspired by the belief that the beauty, joy, inspiration and healing power of nature’s gifts of indoor plants and cut-flowers should be experiences shared by all.

Clients of Seabury Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired enjoying therapeutic flower arranging.

SEED Students volunteering with Plants and Blooms ReImagined’s Bee Friendly…Bloom To Share initiative

Kaifa is hands-on, gathering flowers and sharing them with appreciative receipients!

Kaifa envisioned Plants and Blooms Reimagined to be the source of plants and flowers for D.C. residents who too often go without. The organization’s mission is to increase personal enjoyment and enhanced well-being for under-resourced and other marginalized groups in the D.C. region through the gifting of repurposed (aka reimagined) botanicals of all kinds.

Plants and Blooms ReImagined can be found at various senior communities, homeless shelters, day programs for differently abled adults, social service facilities, healthcare clinics, health fairs and more — delivering plants and flower bouquets and providing outreach and plant-based education.

Sidra Forman, a Washington, D.C.-based floral designer, shares accolades about working with Plants and Blooms Reimagined.

Kaifa “gifting” flowers at Springvale Terrace

Here’s more about Kaifa Anderson-Hall:

Kaifa channeled her experience with social work and community garden development into a career in horticultural therapy. Through her business, Inspired Horticultural Services, Inc., and through Plants and Blooms Reimagined, Kaifa focuses on enhancing the wellbeing of diverse and often underserved communities in the greater Washington, D.C., region.

In addition to working with seniors, veterans, and differently-abled youth and adults, Kaifa designs and consults on the creation of therapeutic gardens. She lectures on the benefits of horticultural therapy programs at conferences and health fairs. A Master Gardener and graduate of the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Denver, Kaifa is active with a variety of organizations, including the American Horticultural Therapy Association, Biophilic DC, and Washington, D.C.’s School Garden Advisory Council.

Kaifa ensured that the flowers and foliages from the Slow Flowers Summit were reimagined/repurposed for deserving recipients. Thanks to Nan Matteson of Queen City Flower Farm.

On very short notice, Kaifa pulled together a team of volunteers to collect – and ultimate reimagine and repurpose – all of the flowers and foliages that we used during the Slow Flowers Summit. So it is fitting to share her story with you and inspire your own creative reimagining.

Here’s how to connect with and follow Plants and Blooms Reimagined:

Watch Plants and Blooms Reimagined on YouTube:

Follow Plants and Blooms Reimagined on Facebook

Follow Kaifa Anderson-Hall on Instagram.

I mentioned that Kaifa Anderson-Hall’s Plants and Blooms Reimagined received all of the flowers and foliage incorporated during the full day’s presentations and installations at the Slow Flowers Summit on June 29th in Washington, D.C.

So I want to take a moment and acknowledge the flower farms – all Slow Flowers Members – who donated that beautiful and abundant harvest. They include Charles Little & Co., Fern Trust, Green Valley Floral, LynnVale Studio and Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers. Thank you so much for your support and what a beautiful gift that began with the Summit and continued on to encourage and affirm clients of Plants and Blooms Reimagined.

And while we’re talking about the importance of flowers and the healing nature of flowers, I am reminded of last year’s guest, Heidi Berkman of The Bloom Project in Portland, Oregon – a volunteer-run organization with a model similar to Plants and Blooms Reimagined. If you’re interested in learning more about this sustainable topic from that interview, follow this link to listen to Episode 311.

(c) Heather Saunders

Before I close, I want to say how grateful I am to all you — our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement.

As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious.

I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.

The Slow Flowers Podcast has been downloaded more than 346,000 times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.

Thank you to our sponsors who have supported Slow Flowers and all our programs.

Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Order a free sample issue here.

Arctic Alaska Peonies, a cooperative of passionate family farms in the heart of Alaska providing bigger, better peony flowers during the months of July and August. Visit them today at arcticalaskapeonies.com

Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Find them at seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com

Longfield Gardens provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Visit them at longfield-gardens.com.

Syndicate Sales, an American manufacturer of vases and accessories for the professional florist. Look for the American Flag Icon to find Syndicate’s USA-made products and join the Syndicate Stars loyalty program at syndicatesales.com.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds — supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Check them out at johnnysseeds.com.

Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. It mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org

Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.

Certified American Grown Flowers. The Certified American-Grown program and label provide a guarantee for designers and consumers on the source of their flowers. Take pride in your flowers and buy with confidence, ask for Certified American Grown Flowers.  To learn more visit americangrownflowers.org.

And the Team Flower Conference – a professional floral event where flower lovers from all over the world gather for networking, learning, and celebration. It’s a special time for the floral industry to come together and whether you’re a farmer, designer, wholesaler, or just love flowers, you’re invited to attend as Team Flowers dreams big for the future of our beloved industry. You can head to teamflower.org/slowflowers to learn more about the 2019 conference in Waco, Texas!

(c) Missy Palacol Photography

I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more American grown flowers on the table, one vase at a time. And If you like what you hear, please consider logging onto iTunes and posting a listener review.

The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization.

The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com

Music Credits:
Sage the Hunter (Rhythmic) 
by Blue Dot Sessions
Music from:

audionautix.com