Landscapers share flower power
By WILL MANLY
It being National Nursing Home Week, and spring to boot, the folks at Hays Good Samaritan Center decided to plant some flowers.
So the veterans of flora from Morgan and Miller Landscape dropped by Wednesday to bring new plants to the center's solarium -- and to help the residents pot a few sprouting greens themselves.
"It's for our solarium. We felt like we needed an update," said Kathy Moravek, an activity director at Good Samaritan Center. "Morgan and Miller, in a joint effort, made all of this possible."
Good Samaritan's solarium is a moderately sized outdoor room with protection from the wind and the scorching heat associated with a northwest Kansas summer. And it provides residents a place to sit quietly and enjoy the flowers around them.
Do they use it often?
"Yeah, in the summertime," said resident Harriet Demaree.
"She reads to us," she said, pointing at Moravek.
As they brought new geraniums, chrysanthemums, et al, to the center, Morgan and Miller's employees also rolled up their sleeves and helped the residents plant the new flowers in new pots. At first, some residents worried about getting their hands dirty. That quickly passed, and they were up to their elbows in potting soil.
As she picked out an arrangement of greens for one pot, Demaree got help from Lexi Rodger, a Morgan and Miller employee.
"I love 'em, but I'm not good with them," Demaree said of the flowers. "I love to sit in here with the plants."
