By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For many of us, dinnertime means sitting down for a quick bite without much fanfare, and flowers are usually only around for special occasions.

At Fox Run, in Novi, it’s another story. Thanks to their resident-driven Flower Committee, meals are served alongside beautiful, freshly cut flower arrangements.

Frances Prior, who moved to the community from Birmingham, has been a member of the committee since 2004 and coordinates the group’s activities.

Special delivery
“It’s our Monday get-together,” Prior says. On Mondays, The Lotus Company, in Oak Park, delivers a bountiful supply of flowers for the committee to cut, arrange, and strategically place on 74 tables at restaurants around campus.

Currently, the committee has approximately 22 members; usually between five and eight of them meet on Mondays, each rotating within a flexible schedule that suits everyone’s needs.

“We get a very nice variety of flowers, including carnations, daisies, mums, and baby’s breath,” Prior says. “On Mother’s Day and Easter we get beautiful spring flowers.”

Each week, the dining staff sets up several tables, freshly washed vases, and trash cans for the committee to use. “They are very cooperative,” she says.

A flower for every season
No matter what the weather’s like outside, flowers continue to be delivered like clockwork every Monday for the group to tend to.

“We all have an interest and enjoyment in arranging flowers,” Prior says. She says the whole experience of cutting and arranging colorful flowers is therapeutic.

And the committee’s hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. “We have a lot of  comments from residents—they appreciate the flowers,” she says. “It’s an important part of our dining experience.”

 Prior is partial to small pink carnations. “They make nice fillers for the  arrangements,” she says. Although the group is mostly comprised of female members, Bob Hooper recently took an interest and joined the group.