Spring, with help of volunteers, brings tulips

It’s spring, and how to know that for sure? One word: Tulips.

My husband, Dick Honeyman, and I had the pleasure of strolling through the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine with our friends Robin Macy and her husband, Kenny White. It was one of the most relaxing, inspirational and educational things I’ve done lately. Robin, who is what she calls the “steward” of the arboretum, knows the names of every variety of tulip. And there are many. If you haven’t been to “the Arb” lately, get down there for Art at the Arb on Sunday or go very soon to see the tulips. Like most things beautiful, they fade and they’re gone before you know it.

But you don’t want to miss the tulips at Botanica either. They are colorful and seem to say, “Yes, it’s spring. Winter is gone.” Dick makes fun of me for talking to flowers, but I think that’s why I know what they’re saying to us. Before you roll your eyes, try it sometime.

One reason I think tulips are wonderful: It takes a lot of work for them to come up and bloom every year. I’m so grateful to the volunteers who plant those bulbs at just the right time. I was at Botanica months ago, and there was a crew of volunteers digging and planting, some on their hands and knees. They worked so the entryway to the gardens would be a sea of beautiful tulips come spring. And boy, did their work pay off. The tulips everywhere in the gardens are gorgeous.

Robin says she simply couldn’t have the arboretum without the countless hours spent by the volunteer Soil Sisters and Soil Brothers. “They make this possible,” she said spreading her arms out wide. And the staff members at Botanica are quick to say how the volunteers hours would add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars if they were paid.

So thank you, volunteers, and you too, Mother Nature, for kicking off spring in the form of beautiful tulips.

Speaking of volunteers, remember last year at this time when I told you about women, including me, carrying a blue plastic bag instead of a purse? Well, I’m getting ready to do that again. Here’s why: Most of the time when a child is removed from his or her home and placed in police protective custody, the belongings are dumped in a plastic bag just like the ones used for garbage. These children deserve better.

Members of the Junior League of Wichita are committed to combating child abuse in our community. They know that a duffel bag partially filled with clothes, journals, personal hygiene items and gift cards is much better than a flimsy plastic bag. With the help of ICT SOS, the duffel bags will be distributed to agencies where social workers can distribute them.

This is where the general public comes in. Anytime you see a woman carrying a blue plastic bag instead of a purse, ask her about it. She will tell you about the project. Even if you don’t see anyone with a bag, you can help by going to jlwichita.org/support and making a donation. Last year volunteers raised nearly $8,000, which was used for duffel bags and the contents. Each duffel bag is valued at between $75 and $100. If you have questions, contact Macaela Harris at macaelaharris@gmail.com. Think what a lift it would be for a child in time of crisis to get a new duffel bag instead of a plastic trash bag.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Spring, with help of volunteers, brings tulips."