Images - Blooming West
encourages and supports local community members to plant, grow and harvest sunflower plots at home and within key local settings across Aintree, Rockbank and Mt Atkinson.
Just as a sunflower turns to face the sun, we need to turn to one another sounds like an apt adage after the year we've just had. In a positive move, over 150,000 sunflowers have bloomed as part of a large-scale installation that aims to encourage the community to connect with friends, family and the broader community. Planted in late 2020, the initiative known as
Blooming West is led by master-planned community Woodlea, in collaboration with Djerriwarrh Health Services, Edmund Rice Services Mt. Atkinson and We Love Aintree.
The most impressive site due to significant scale is the Woodlea's community site within the brand new Woodlea Town shopping precinct aka the heart and soul of Aintree. Set within a grand 2800 square metre site, the sunflower installation is a destination for Woodlea residents and the broader community to connect with each other and react with the mass of blooming sunflowers; one of the main objectives of the Blooming West initiative.
On that note, here's another true saying from Woodlea Community Development Manager Claire Mouser. "
Just as a sunflower turns to face the sun to capture the energy it needs to thrive; in times of hardship, we need to find ways to turn to one another for strength. Through this initiative, we're encouraging people to come and visit the sunflowers, and enjoy the outdoors and neighbouring parks after what has been a trying year for many families," said Claire.
Passionate about integrating green spaces into the community, each home within Woodlea is connected to outdoor spaces that enable residents to thrive, with this initiative specifically providing the perfect space for social interactions with other Woodlea residents. Now in bloom from 16 kilograms of seed planted in Dec 2020, with the Helianthus Annuus sunflower species now rising a remarkable height of 1-2 metres, you can visit Woodlea's Blooming West activation today and experience the colour and fun, firsthand. For more information, please
SEE WEBSITE.
If you'd like to get involved, there are many ways you can be in this exciting project.
SEE HERE for more details on involvement. You can also email
healthpromotion@djhs.org.au to find out more information, to volunteer to help or to register to receive your
FREE packet of sunflower seeds.
SEE TIPS on growing your Blooming West seeds at home.
You might be interested in being involved in a Blooming West Special - a
Sunflower Watercolour Painting event on
Monday 15 March 2021 from 10am to 12.30pm. You'll find all the details via the link. There's nothing to bring - basic supplies will be available for this session, but you can, if you want to or have more variety in your own supplies of watercolours, paper and brushes. The event is
FREE at held at Woodlea Town, corner Elmhurst and Tranquil Street, Aintree. BYO lunch to finish off with a social chat.
