Good Flowers Make Good Neighbors

September First is Good Neighbor Day at Hundreds of Flower Shops Across Southern California and the Country. The Idea is to Bring Joy and Happiness to Your Neighbors, One Flower at a Time

One West Covina florist was as busy on Wednesday as it would be on Mother's Day, or Valentines day, because it's September first. Good neighbor day! A holiday invented by florists, who don't make a dime, but enjoy more emotional rewards.

On September first, florists actually give away a dozen roses to anyone who walks through the door, as long as they pledge to give eleven of the flowers away, spreading the love around, paying it forward.

Louise Morrison has been a rosy good neighbor for years.

"Sometimes when the neighbor's aren't there I just leave it in their mail box. I don't know if they get it or the mailman gets it, but somebody gets it," says Louise Morrison, a Good Neighbor.

The tradition is so popular in West Covina, when the economy wilted and "Flowers by Robert Taylor" figured they had to prune away their participation, but the community wouldn't accept that.

"A couple people went out to the local chamber, city, and the word just kind of got out, and I started receiving people walking in and saying 'here. Here's a $25 check. Here's a $50 check.' So it was kind of a nice little way of saying keep continuing on," according to Robert Bryant of "Flowers by Robert Taylor."

So on Wednesday, as usual, the line formed early. Some were there for the first time, but with a plan.

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"This will probably end up being my wife handing these out, but I think it's a good way to keep up the spirit," according to Ryan Mills, a Good Neighbor.

"It's always nice to get a flower. They're going to my church, my daughter's school and my in-laws, and my neighbors of course," says Christine Ruelas, a Good Neighbor.

So apparently its not just good fences that make good neighbors, beautiful roses do too.

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