Outdoor gardener Hunter Blanchard harvests flowers to be delivered.

In the spring of 2020, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill donated cut spring flowers to area heath care facilities, including daffodils from its field of more than 25,000 blooms.

THBG CEO Grace Elton delivers daffodils to staff at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

“It’s a gesture of gratitude to those working on the front lines,” said THBG CEO Grace Elton. “It’s our hope that these blooms, and many more to come, will bring moments of joy to all who encounter them.”

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is usually buzzing each spring as visitors from near and far explore the 171 acre property to enjoy the blooms on trees, shrubs, and ephemeral flowers. But due to the threat from COVID-19, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill was closed to the public in the spring of 2020.

“There are many benefits to being close to nature and plants,” said THBG horticulture director Mark Richardson. “So we decided to bring our popular spring blooms to some of the people who could use them the most.”

Here is a look at the field where staff are harvesting daffodils from:

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THBG horticulture director Mark Richardson delivers flowers to UMass Memorial’s University Campus in Worcester.

Here are a few photos submitted to us by staff at the UMass Memorial system showing that the daffodils found their way into the hands of front line workers deserving of some spring cheer.

A screenshot of Umass Memorial staff thanking the Garden for the daffodil delivery.
A chick vase is filled with daffodils.

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Even the Worcester Telegram & Gazette helped spread the word.