Your garden has the power to grow smiles. Whether you have a huge property or containers on the balcony, in all most seasons of the year you are cultivating the potential for surprising acts of cheer and kindness. We have the power to make someone’s day in the most positive way with give-away bouquets.

Imagine that you’re working at the reception desk in a doctor or dentist’s office and someone places an unexpected small bouquet of colorful, garden flowers on your desk. Or you’re working at the bank, grocery store, or motor vehicle department and a complete stranger walks up and hands you a ribbon tied nosegay. If you grow a range of flowers, foliage and herbs you can create such small surprises in a few minutes. Who knows what ripples of joy and consideration you might create.

Here’s all it takes:

Collect small bottles and cans – recycle pleasing salad dressing containers, colorful tins or other containers. Instead of automatically throwing such things in the recycle bin, evaluate them for possible give-away-bouquet containers and keep a stash handy in the closet.

Save small pieces of ribbon, raffia and twine. These are perfect for tying around an impromptu nosegay.

Clip whatever happens to be in bloom or looking seasonal in your garden. Don’t just think of flowers; herbs, dried grasses, colorful foliage and evergreen leaves make great bouquet ingredients too. Check out your shrubs and trees as well as containers and flowerbeds for bouquet materials.

Give them to men and women, old and young. Sprinkle them at random or choose someone who looks like they need a lift. Think of these as the Plant Something antidote to impatience and road rage. Think of all the cheer that you probably already have in your landscape, and how much fun you’ll have this winter planning for what else you can grow that will spread good will and happiness.

I picked the ingredients for this give-away bouquet today. The last of the roses, Verbena bonariensis, sage, bay and lavender foliage, all tied with a small bit of ribbon. It smells lovely and will dry well too.

Plant some spring-flowering tulips and daffodils now so you can use them in bouquets next spring. Plan to grow dahlias next summer for summer into fall bouquets. This small bouquet was made in an old salad dressing bottle and placed on a receptionist's table at a doctors office.