STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Thirty-five seniors got a sneak peek at the new beds of daffodils coloring the Sawtooth Botanical Garden on Thursday.
And then they enjoyed croissant chicken salad sandwiches and mimosas prepared by The Connection’s Maureen Turzian amidst bouquets of daffodils inside the greenhouse.
“What a nice place this is,” said retired pastry chef Fred Pendl. “It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s gotten a lot nicer over the years,” agreed Jim Dowen, as the lunch bunch admired the purple bougainvillea spilling down the walls and the nearly ripe lemons and oranges.
The inaugural Wood River Valley Daffodil Festival—a collaboration between The Senior Connection and the Sawtooth Botanical Garden--will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, with live music, food trucks and tours.
But ahead of that Tewa Evans, Betty Grant, David Page and others grabbed mimosas that matched the perky yellow flowers as they strolled the paths between the Serenity Garden and Garden of Infinite Compassion.
“This is beautiful. I’ve been taking pictures lickety split,” said Don Yeager.
“It’s amazing—so cheerful,” added Tracey Baer, who was among those who planted 30,000 bulbs last fall. “It was a lot of hard work last fall when we were planting the bulbs, but great camaraderie—a lot of great people to plant with.”
Sue Bridgman who has operated a floral shop in Ketchum for decades, noted that daffodils love Sun Valley’s climate.
“Critters don’t eat the bulbs because they’re poisonous so the flowers come back year after year,” she said.
Lynda Mancha noted that this was the first time she’d ever been to the garden in the 25 years she lived here.
“It’s one of those things you just don’t stop and enjoy. Now I know better,” she said.
Jovita Pina of The Senior Connection said she was grateful to see the bloom.
“It was a labor of love,” she added. “We were a little nervous when the weather warmed up, then cooled down. But it’s turned out beautiful. I’m struck by the beauty of the flowers as they bring color to spring. I’m so glad we can share with our members and the entire community.”
COMING UP AT THE SENIOR CONNECTION:
The Senior Connection will begin offering its popular Summer Adventure field trips and other events June through September. The Senor Games will follow on Sept. 17. And a new vision and hearing clinic is scheduled to open in Ketchum in late June.