Our Mission
We create joy and connection for those living in care communities through the gift of recycled flowers.
Who We Are
At Bluebirds and Blooms, our ultimate goal is to share a moment of joy with those living with memory loss or long-term illness. We do this through the gift of repurposed flowers.
Every day, millions of beautiful flowers are discarded from stores, events, weddings, and funerals. We repurpose these donated flowers into cheerful bedside bouquets that are delivered by caring volunteers for an unexpected moment of hope and encouragement.
What We Do
Bluebirds & Blooms brings joy, beauty, and meaningful human connection to older adults living in care communities across the Twin Cities metro area. Through flowers and personal interaction, we reach more than 3,000 residents each month in 76 care communities across 26 cities.
Since our founding, we have created over 150,000 moments of connection through a mix of personal flower deliveries, hands-on DIY bouquet experiences, and guided floral programs that encourage creativity, engagement, and community.
Our Story
Bluebirds & Blooms was inspired by the kindness of a stranger. When Laura Hogan and Karen Wooldridge heard a story about a woman in Idaho who used flowers as a way to spread joy to seniors in hospice, the two friends recognized a need for something similar in their home state of Minnesota. Over coffee in January 2018, the two friends developed the beginnings of Bluebirds & Blooms.
Laura and Karen recruited friends and family members to help pick up flowers from local grocery stores. The deconstruction and arranging of flowers occurred in whatever space they could find; kitchens, dining rooms, or whatever space would allow. When a bouquet was ready to be shared, it was gifted to an individual with memory loss or someone living with long-term illness. From these humble beginnings, today Bluebirds & Blooms has delivered over 90,000 bouquets and continues to extend joy to those who need it most.
Follow the Flowers
This short video walks through our process, from picking up flowers at our floral partners, to cleaning and arranging them into bedside bouquets, and finally delivering them to those who need a reminder they are not forgotten.