Fantastic Florals: Hood’s Gardens Offers Extensive Range of Wholesale Flowers

HOOD’S GARDENS OFFERS EXTENSIVE RANGE OF WHOLESALE FLOWERS

Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Amy Counts

Everyone knows that flowers can beautify a city or the entrance to a neighborhood. Hanging baskets and planters of brightlycolored flowers add charm to downtown Noblesville, as they do for surrounding communities. Going to a garden center and selecting annuals to plant is a rite of spring for many. Locals might be surprised to learn that Hood’s Gardens in Noblesville is the source for much of the floral beauty seen locally and beyond.

Hood’s Gardens is a wholesale production warehouse owned by Steve and Tina Hood. It began with a small dream that grew into the large operation it is today. The Hoods currently own 28 acres of land and rent 12 more for the business. There are five acres of greenhouse space, and more than 10 acres for mums and other outdoor production. and majored in horticulture,” Tina Hood explains. “After graduation we worked for Heartland Growers in Westfield. It was our dream to start a business of our own. In 1982 we began by renting a greenhouse in Westfield. Then we found land in Noblesville. We never thought the business would be surrounded by houses.”

Hood says more than half of the professional landscapers in the Noblesville area currently purchase from her business.

“The overall growth of central Indiana has increased beyond what we ever imagined,” she says. “We sell to retailers and independent garden centers. We are so grateful to those first customers such as Johnny’s Market in Broad Ripple and Gatewood Vegetable Farm on 206th Street who have been with us for more than 37 years.” seen in many nearby communities. From spring through the winter holidays, Hood’s products can be found at independent garden centers such as Allisonville Nursery, Rosie’s Gardens, Habig Garden Shops and Sundown Gardens. The cities of Anderson, Fishers, Indianapolis, Noblesville and others purchase plants from the business.

“All our annuals are top quality,” Hood says. “In the spring we sell hundreds of thousands of pansies plus Mother’s Day plants. Our

line of summer annuals includes hanging baskets, planters and flats of all varieties and sizes. For the fall we grow more pansies, plus ornamental kale and cabbage. We have started to produce holiday combination pots that the surrounding cities buy.”

Hood’s Gardens supports many local fundraising drives. From Mother’s Day through Christmas, the business will work with nonprofits, sports teams and other local organizations to provide seasonal plants that can be sold to raise funds.

organic approach

Our Organic Approac h reduces the amount of chemicals going into the environment

Independently owned and operated since 1989

“We feel blessed,” Hood says. “We love what we are doing and it’s been fun serving central Indiana. We get to see our plants growing from just a seed, and so many blooming together makes it smell like heaven. When we drive around, we see our flowers every day, everywhere.”

Hood’s Gardens is located at 11644 Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville. Visit HoodsGardens.com or call 317- 773-6015 for more info.

• Fertilization & Weed Control • Perimeter Pest Control A Responsible, Professional approach to a healthy lawn Visit our website for additional information

317.638.1862 tlctotallawncare.net Sign up now and get 10% off first Applic ation fig

WORK IS UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE STATE ROAD 37 Be Informed. Stay Connected. Support Our Local Businesses.

Starting this month the west approach of 126th St. at SR 37 is closed through July 4. Detour routes are posted at 37thrives.com.

Real-time routes are always available on your mobile map apps:

Carolina Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

ALL Wild Bird Unlimited Feeders* 10 DAYS ONLY!!!!! Expires APRIL 13th, 2020 20% OFF $10 OFF $60 *

*Valid in-store at the participating store(s) listed. One discount per purchase. Offer not valid on previous purchases, gift cards, optics, DSC memberships or sale items. Offer valid 4/3/20 thru 4/13/20. *Valid in-store at the participating store(s) listed or by shopping online. One discount per purchase. Offer not valid on previous purchases, gift cards, optics, DSC memberships or sale items. Offer valid thru 5/15/20. Online code: MOM

14753 Hazel Dell Xing Suite 400 Noblesville, IN 46062 317-566-8222 wbu.com/noblesville

14753 HAZEL DELL CROSSING, SUITE 400 BIRD FOOD • FEEDERS • GARDEN ACCENTS • UNIQUE GIFTS 9830 N. Michigan Rd Ste A. Carmel, IN 46032 317-334-1883 wbu.com/carmel

NOBLESVILLE, IN 46062 • 317-566-8222

9830 A N. MICHIGAN RD CARMEL, IN 46032 • 317-334-1883

mywbu.com/carmel | mywbu.com/noblesville

BIRD FOOD • FEEDERS • GARDEN ACCENTS • UNIQUE GIFTS

Less Government | More Freedom

Finance Executive | Farmer | Business Owner

CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN FOR CONGRESS

VOTE

SPARTZFORCONGRESS.COM SPARTZFORCONGRESS

HOMETOWN Health Care Heroes

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

Remember the days when the notion of shaking hands with a rock-n-roll star or rubbing elbows with an NBA player made your heart aflutter? Remember the way your children watched superhero movies with their eyes wide and their mouths agape as they sat, mesmerized, at the notion of being able to fly, deflect bullets and neutralize the bad guys? Remember the times you had a random encounter with an A-list Hollywood actress at an airport or a legendary musician while vacationing in an exotic location? We remember such encounters because we, as a society, have elevated Hollywood superstars, sports icons, music legends and fictitious comic book characters as heroes in our minds. highly contagious disease swiftly and jarringly upended our routines, our lives, our families and our world that our definition of “hero” was sharply redefined. Suddenly we looked to doctors, nurses, hospital staff, first responders and emergency personnel with fresh eyes of gratitude and a renewed sense of awe as we recognized the grand and personal sacrifices they were making, daily, for the sake of their communities. We are grateful to our hometown heroes in a way that perhaps we never have been in our lifetime because we know the blood, sweat and tears that these men and women have shed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept through our country, leaving confusion, uncertainly, and blind fear in its wake. As schools, churches, restaurants, hair salons, gyms, movie theaters, shopping malls and other businesses shut down, those on the frontlines never stopped working. In fact, many put in overtime, both physically and mentally, to ensure the safety of their fellow man. This strange and surreal experience has brought many lessons, the greatest of which is that we have heroes living among us. And for that, we are all eternally grateful. Therefore, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank these beautiful people for their ceaseless sacrifice, unwavering commitment to serve and boundless love of humankind. Amid the pandemic, Noblesville Police Chief John Mann has witnessed the community and city government bond together in ways he has not seen before. “I see people putting the needs of others before their own,” Mann says. “The needs and concerns of the community have

changed over the past three months so our police department has been changing to provide unprecedented service.”

Trevor Hash, Division Chief-Logistics/ Public Relations of the Noblesville Fire Department, is grateful for Mayor Chris Jensen, Director Knecht, and the Noblesville Common Council who have provided the department with the equipment, training and backing needed to continue to provide elite service to the community.

“The community has been very generous,” Hash says. “We have received anonymous donations of personal protective equipment, meals, coffee. We are blessed to be a part of such a caring and tight-knit community.”

Jill McKinney, Director of Emergency Services, Critical Care Services, & School Nursing, has been touched by the response and respect frontline staff have received in recent weeks. They’ve gotten thank-you cards, flowers, meals and positive postings on social media.

WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A PART OF SUCH A CARING AND TIGHT-KNIT

COMMUNITY.

- TREVOR HASH - Noblesville Fire Department

“Patients we are seeing in the ER and ICU express their gratitude for the work we are doing every day,” says McKinney, noting that from a nurse’s perspective, they feel duty-bound to heed their calling.

“This is what we do,” McKinney says. “We have lived through pandemics — none that have affected the country like this, obviously, [but] it’s not uncommon for new diseases to present themselves in health care. We saw it with H1N1, Ebola and HIV. We are trained to care for everyone in any situation. We protect ourselves and our families to the best of our ability while providing compassionate care to our patients and their families.”

According to McKinney, Riverview Health engaged in an impressive organizationwide effort to come together and prepare for this pandemic. They did so by planning for needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for surges and the loss of staff due to quarantining procedures. In addition, the support from all department leaders and staff has been unprecedented.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever witnessed,” McKinney says. “Every department has been impacted by the needs and changes that occur daily, and each and every department has stepped up to the plate. We have surgery nurses working in ICU, ER nurses working in the ICU. We opened up extra ICU beds. It really has been phenomenal how everyone has risen to the occasion.”

Donetta Gee-Weiler, RN, MBA-MSN, Hospital Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer for Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, has worked for Community Health Network for 25 years and says she’s always known it was a special place. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that point as teamwork has taken on a new meaning.

“Caregivers are moving from areas that are no longer open to help support areas of greater need. This means learning new roles, moving to a new site of care and even changing shifts,” Gee-Weiler says. “During such a time of uncertainty, our team is adjusting to make sure we continue to deliver the best possible care to those in need.” disease) and worst moments (e.g., terminal diagnosis, loss of a loved one).

Nevertheless, this is the field these men and women have chosen, and they feel driven to step up and care for humanity just as they always have.

“I view the role of the caregiver as something that cannot be replaced,” says Gee-Weiler, noting that they are welcomed into their patients’ lives during the best moments (e.g., the birth of a baby, cure from “We are part of the family’s story as these memories are some they carry with them for the remainder of their life,” Gee-Weiler says. “Now I think the community is finally seeing just how much these moments also mean to us. We are showing that health care is truly a career of passion to help others, regardless of the need.”

Dr. William Harvey, pulmonary critical

317-674-0044 Order online at www.PizzaHarbour.com. Always available for carryout, delivery area restrictions may apply.

Voted “Top 10” best pizzas in Hamilton County. Our regulars rave about our Made to Order Stuffed Breadsticks.

care specialist and medical director of the ICU at IU Health North Hospital, has been practicing critical care medicine for two decades. As medical director of the ICU, he provides calm reassurance to the nursing staff and communicates with administration to ask for and receive the necessary resources to treat patients.

“Although there is more stress and longer hours than usual, I feel very blessed that I have been trained to do this job and that I have an opportunity to help the citizens of Hamilton County,” says Harvey, who is thankful to the Hamilton County residents for their sacrifices. “We will get through this time. It will not last forever. Fortunately, at IU Health we have the resources, the manpower and the will to respond to this crisis and ultimately defeat the virus.”

When the pandemic passes, we hope that the kindness and compassion in the community will continue.

“Whether you worked on the front lines in health care or public safety, supplied the necessary equipment, provided food or shelter to those in need or stayed at home to help curb the spread, we will have all done our part to combat suffering,” Hash adds. “We will have come together as a community, and we will have prevailed.”

When every day brings a new series of harrowing headlines, it can be easy to slip into sadness or flounder in fear. But I assure you, there is a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to this army of men and women as they are the heartbeat of hope that now, always has, and always will work tirelessly to relieve pain, save lives and restore health. These individuals dedicate their lives to helping us, as a society, live our best lives. Because as the saying goes, “When you have your health, you have everything. When you do not have your health, nothing else matters.”

Ascension Online Care Here for you and your family 24/7

Stay home to avoid exposure to germs and get the care you need with Ascension Online Care. Visits are discounted to $20 with code HOME. We’re here to care for you, and will advise you if you need additional care. Available in all 50 states. No insurance required.

Use code HOME for a $20 visit

Get started at ascension.org/onlinecare or download the mobile app.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or dial 911.

© Ascension 2020. All rights reserved. The “Android” name, the Android logo, the “Google Play” brand, and other Google trademarks, are property of Google LLC. All rights reserved.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc. All rights reserved.