The floral delights are being given away to anyone who visits the hospital, including staff.
The 400 stems, many of which have already been snapped up, were grown in New Zealand and displayed in the main foyer and in the maternity ward by Ashburton florist Samantha Trott, owner of Samantha Rose Flowers,
“Flowers bring happiness and joy, giving a flower to someone is a great way of spreading those feelings to others,” says Samantha.
Peonies, roses, stock, tulips, ranunculus, gerbera and leucospermum have formed part of the pretty initiative at Ashburton Hospital, where many people visit at some point or other, she said.
“We are a rural community of 35,500, and the hospital is a place where everyone needs cheering up. It’ll be bright and colourful, and will hopefully give some people’s days a bit of a lift.”
Ashburton Health Services general manager Berni Marra said the displays would be a bright spot for many people.
“Accessing care in hospitals can be daunting, rewarding and overwhelming in the same visit. As a rural hospital we provide care from the birthing unit through to end of life care. As visitors enter our whare, they come into the space of trusting whanau into our care. The gift of a flower can provide a memory, kindness, calm or a ray of sunshine that may not have been present when they walked through the front door.”
Berni said even though Ashburton did not have a managed isolation and quarantine hotel, 2020 and the impact of Covid-19 has been tough on the staff as well as their patients.
“2020 has been challenging across the world. As a hospital in a rural community, our staff provide care across the spectrum, but are also part of our local community,” she said.
“This year our staff has stepped up to the challenge and delivered care, leading with confidence so the community can be assured we are here to support them. That’s resilience.
“Resilience is at the core of everything we do at Ashburton Health Services.
“Our role is to support our community and keep the focus on providing care during any challenge.”
