NEWSPAPERS Special Edition
Local kids participate in SHINE Fashion Show
BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com
TROY — Variety, a children’s charity, recently hosted its 11th annual SHINE Fashion Show fundraiser, featuring special needs children modeling eye-catching clothes.
Variety was founded in 1927 and helps provide children treatment for physical, mental and emotional needs, helping to build life skills and confidence. Variety also participates in humanitarian missions in developing countries around the world.
This year’s show took place Aug. 24 at the South Rotunda area in Somerset Collection, 2800 West Big Beaver Road. The proceeds will benefit the camp programs of FAR
More than 20 models participated in this year’s
Revin’ in the Heights
returns
to Civic Center Plaza
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — Flashy rides, both vintage and modern, will soon roll into town for the free car show Revin’ in the Heights.
Now in its second year, the show is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 in the parking lot at Madison Heights City Hall, 300 W. 13 Mile Road, near Fire Station No. 1 and the courthouse, next to Lamphere High School and Civic Center Park.
The fire station will hold an open house at the same time, accessible off Palmer Street. While there won’t be facility tours, there will be a fire knockdown demonstration and a fire engine on display, as well as opportunities to meet the firefighters and pose for pictures with them using cardboard cutouts.
Guests can also learn more about Community Connect — a program where they can share information that could help first responders in the event of an emergency, such as the rooms where the kids sleep or whether there are pets in crates.
As for the car show itself, all makes and models are welcome. Vehicle registration is $20 in advance by signing up at eventsmhhrec.com. Sponsors can also apply there. Alternatively, partic-
SHINE Fashion Show at the South Rotunda area in Somerset Collection Aug. 24. The show benefitted Variety, a children’s charity helping youth with special needs.
Photos by Erin Sanchez See SHINE on page 5A
In this file photo from 2024, Madison Heights City Councilman Quinn Wright, right, meets with Murray Pfaff, of Pfaff Designs in Royal Oak, to plan the car show Revin’ in the Heights, which this year takes place at Civic Center Plaza Sept. 13. The ride seen here is a 1974 Meyers Manx SR2.
File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
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SECOND FRONT PAGE
STAR DREAM FOUNTAIN UNDERGOES REPAIRS
BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com
ROYAL OAK — The Star Dream Fountain in downtown Royal Oak has been going through some maintenance this summer.
The statue gets cleaned annually, but this year there will be a few more improvements to fully restore the 40-foot sculpture created by Marshall Fredericks. It is located near Centennial Commons, 221 E. Third St. in Royal Oak.
The Star Dream Fountain was sculpted in Fredericks’ Royal Oak studio and was one of the last pieces he completed before his death at 90 in 1998.
According to Royal Oak Community Engagement Specialist Judy Davids, the annual maintenance is performed by Venus Bronze Works, the same team that has cared for the fountain since 1999. The group also maintains the Spirit of Detroit statue.
“The Star Dream Fountain is one of Royal Oak’s most photographed and cherished landmarks,” Davids said. “These upgrades will ensure it remains a source of beauty and magic for everyone to enjoy for generations to come.”
Several significant improvements are being made to the structure, including granite base repairs for the first time since the fountain’s dedica-
Birmingham Village Players present
classic ‘Man of La Mancha’
BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgenews.com
BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham Village Players are kicking off their 103rd season with a classic musical that has touched audiences’ hearts for over 60 years: “Man of La Mancha.”
The show — directed by Susan Chekaway and Roberta Campion — will run 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays Sept. 12-28 at the Birmingham Village Players, 34660 Woodward.
“Man of La Mancha” is a musical with both comedic relief and dark themes. The plot takes place in 17th century Spain and is centered around Miguel de Cervantes, who is imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition and performs his manuscript about Don Quixote de La Mancha with the other inmates. It is a play within a play.
“Man of La Mancha” is for mature audiences only due to the show’s adult situations, language and violence, including depictions of sexual assault.
ABOVE: In the Birmingham Village Players’ production of “Man of La Mancha,” pictured above, Jennifer Jones is Aldonza/Dulcinea, and pictured right are Michael Gravame and Jude Purcell.
Photos by Paul Manoian Photography
ABOVE: Workers with Venus Bronze Works clean and improve the Star Dream Fountain in Royal Oak. RIGHT: The Star Dream Fountain stands in downtown Royal Oak Aug. 23.
See FOUNTAIN on page 9A
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Photo by Judy Davids
Revin’
from page 1A
ipants can register their vehicle for $25 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. the day of the event. Proceeds support the Madison Heights Human Relations and Equity Commission, a group dedicated to promoting inclusive policies and programming.
Quinn Wright, a member of the City Council who also serves on the HREC and helped develop the car show, said that it honors the spirit of the HREC by bringing together different groups to build neighborly bonds — in this case, over a shared love of cars.
“I think it resonates with people because it gives them the ability to show off a little
Musicalfrom page 3A
Jude Purcell, of Clawson, plays the lead role, Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote. This has been a bucket list role for Purcell ever since he became a fan of the musical in college.
The first production he ever did with the Birmingham Village Players was “Man of La Mancha” 21 years ago, and he recalls a memory of when he first decided to audition for it after someone at his work told him that there was going to be a local production.
“I was eating dinner, and I was looking up the audition dates for that show, and I saw that they were that night, and the audition started at seven o’clock, and it was seven o’clock when I was looking at it. So I threw my dinner in the fridge — I hadn’t eaten much all day — and I rushed to the theater.”
He said he remembers vividly the people he met that day at the Birmingham Village Players, and they gave him a role as a muleteer.
Now in the lead role, Purcell is taking an intentional approach to properly convey the show’s important themes and complex characters.
“I’d like to be able to communicate the message as clearly as possible to the audience and have some fun doing it, because I think it’s a very fun character, and it’s got a lot of sides to it,” Purcell said.
Purcell was also inspired to make a wood carving statue of Don Quixote, even though he had no prior experience in wood carving. He shares how the statue ties in to
bit of their experience with the Motor City, their cars telling the story of their childhood or character,” Wright said. “Whether it’s a muscle car or classic car, it speaks to the individual who owns it.”
The HREC is also partnering with the Madison Heights Public Library, at the opposite end of the plaza, to host a traveling exhibit from the Automotive Hall of Fame. Titled “Achievement,” the exhibit honors the contributions of African Americans in the automotive industry.
“I’m excited to have an educational component like this at the show,” Wright said. “I think a lot of what the HREC is tasked with doing is building bridges and finding ways to be culturally inviting to all. So, by sharing this awesome exhibit, I think it helps us do that and be inclusive, including
the show’s major theme of “appearance is not reality.”
“To one person, it may be a block of wood. To another person, it may be a statue,” Purcell said.
Jennifer Jones, of Rochester Hills, is playing the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea. This will be the third time in 21 years that Jones takes the stage in this role — the last time being in the same Birmingham Village Players production as Purcell.
“I consider myself so blessed and so lucky to be able to portray her again. And I’d like to think that maybe my life experiences will add more to it,” Jones said.
After playing the role three times in her life, Jones knows this character very well.
“I love her passion, and I love her strength. She overcomes so many things throughout the show,” Jones said.
Jones has recently had to overcome a lot in her life, with the loss of many people close to her, including her husband, who passed in 2022. When Jones played this role at the Village Players previously, her husband played Pedro, the head muleteer. This is her first leading role since her husband’s passing.
“You have to drive forward and you have to become stronger and overcome these obstacles,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, all of us have to overcome at some point in our life.”
The “impossible dream” is a major theme in the show, which Jones connects back to Aldonza’s feats of overcoming.
“She overcomes these hardships and this abuse, and I think that, in doing so, both Aldonza’s world and in my own world, that it is the ultimate triumph in our own
with car culture, which I think really speaks to everyone.”
One recent effort by the HREC was the installation of communication boards at several parks in the city. The boards feature visual elements that nonverbal or less verbal individuals can point to when they need help expressing themselves.
“Those communication boards are there for our neighbors with special needs,” Wright said. “I think it speaks to how the HREC is about more than what people think at times.”
Murray Pfaff, of Pfaff Designs in Royal Oak, designs cars for clients across the country, and in his spare time he enjoys customizing his own rides. Pfaff is helping organize the show by sharing his insight into similar events he has visited across Michigan and other states.
“The thing about having a car show is most everyone grows up with a family car, and of course as we get older, we wax poetic about whatever we had — riding in the backseat on trips, for example. Being able to come out and speak about that and relive some of those memories has a bonding effect, I think,” Pfaff said.
“The neat thing about the car world is there’s inspiration all around us, with so many ways to personalize and customize and modify them. Hidden gems are everywhere,” Pfaff added. “Revin’ is a community event. The fire station has its open house with their vehicles on display. The library is there, and the police are there. We have food trucks, ice cream, music, kids’ games. And of course there are the cars. They’re just a great common thread for any community.”
ability to survive the worst things in life. And because of that, Aldanza is better able to see and experience the imaginary world through Quixote’s eyes and what he sees and believes. I’d like to think that in our own lives, when we overcome those obstacles, that we’re able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, that there is hope, there are
people there for us, and just reaching that final step, that final phase, being past all of those hardships in life, is almost obtaining our impossible dream.”
Individuals can reserve tickets for $30, which includes a ticketing fee. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (248) 644-2075 or visit birminghamvillageplayers.com.
SHINE
Therapeutic Arts & Recreation and the Variety 4-H Horseback Riding program.
“It’s for children with special needs, and all the models in the fashion show are special needs kids who benefit from FAR and Variety,” said Ruthie Seltzer, a board member with Variety.
The event usually raises around $40,000-$45,000 for the cause.
Each participant submitted a wish list of their favorite stores, clothing items and colors, and then a stylist collected the requested items and provided fittings.
The stores also gift the outfits to the kids, so they get to keep what they model. Some of the models went to Alex Emilio Salon to further prepare their hair, makeup and nails for the event.
“It takes about a year to put it together, organizing the kids,” Seltzer said. “Somerset is very generous in giving us the space. … So, it’s a whole day for the kids, you know, really getting prettied up, feeling wonderful about themselves — hence the name of the
show, SHINE. It allows these kids to shine.”
The fashion show kicked off with a performance of “For Good” from the play “Wicked,” followed by each of the kids strutting down the runway to a song of their choice in their outfits. More than 20 models participated, accompanied by community mentors.
Briella Naif was one of the models this year. She has been a part of the 4-H Horseback Riding program for around six years. Variety also provided Briella with an adaptive bike when she was around 3 years old. She has been involved with the fashion show for around six years now.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Caroline Naif, Briella’s mom. “We get to come to the mall, and she gets to pick out her outfit. … They have like five or six different outfits lined up for each model and she gets to try them on; she gets to figure out which outfit she wants to shine in. And then we go home, come back on the day of the show and she gets her hair and makeup done, and then she gets to just shine with the rest of her friends on the runway.”
For more information, visit variety.org or far-therapy.org.
by Liz Carnegie
Setting up ‘camp’ in a custom-made caravan that cruises in reverse
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — When it comes to car cruises, Jerry Naumann knows how to make a grand entrance. For many years, the car enthusiast drove an upsidedown GMC 1984 Rally van that attracted crowds from St. Clair Shores to downriver communities. After owning it for several years, he sold the vehicle to a gentleman in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where the upside-down van currently rests.
But the wheels behind Naumann’s cruising days are still spinning. A couple of years ago, he purchased another offbeat vehicle that looks like a camper riding backward while connected to a 1985 Ford Ranger pickup truck. Naumann drove the memorable trailer in this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 16 and made an appearance at the Berkley CruiseFest Classic Car Parade Aug. 15 where he “had a blast.”
Here’s the twist: the trailer isn’t really a camper but is
Classic Cars for the Cure Sept. 20
DETROIT/CLAWSON — The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute will hold its third annual Classic Cars for the Cure from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at a private garage at 1330 N. Crooks Road in Clawson. Funds raised will support cancer research at Karmanos in Detroit.
The event will include a strolling supper by Forte Belanger, live 1950s and ’60s music by Stella and her band Intrigue, a performance and swing dance lessons from the Oakland University Dance Team, and dessert served in a 1950s diner. Guests, too, can learn more about Karmanos’ research.
Attendees are asked to wear cocktail attire or 1950s and 1960s-style flair. Al Trombetta, Classic Cars for the Cure automobile curator, has gathered 25 rare classic cars from museums and top collectors to showcase. The event is personal for Trombetta, whose mother died of lung cancer.
Debra Partrich, of Bloomfield Hills, is a member of the Karmanos Cancer Institute Board of Directors and also a cancer survivor who underwent treatment at Karmanos.
“If it weren’t for a doctor doing research to find a cure for the cancer I had, I would not be here today. I would not be able to watch my grandsons grow up, spend more time with my family, enjoy trips with my husband, or be around with my friends,” she said in a prepared statement. “That’s the most important thing. Just to be present. This event is a wonderful evening full of classic cars, dancing, music and just a lot of fun. And we are raising dollars for research. Research that will hopefully someday cure cancer.”
Helping to make Classic Cars for the Cure a success is Franklin resident and event sponsor Jeff Kopelman. His wife, Sandy, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer but lived for 4 1/2 years because of the cancer treatment she received from Dr. Robert Morris and the Karmanos staff. Tickets cost $250 each at karmanos.org/cars25. — Maria allard
Partrich
Kopelman
Jerry Naumann, of Berkley, brought his backwards trailer to this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 16 and the Berkley CruiseFest Classic Car Parade Aug. 15. Naumann’s camper looks like it rides backward while pulling a 1985 Ford Ranger pickup truck.
Photos
Camper
from page 6A
manufactured to look like one.
“It’s just vinyl siding and it has a 2-by-2 framework,” Naumann said.
With a 1998 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer floor plan with drivetrain, a front and back seat, and steering wheel, it appears as if the Ford Ranger is backing up with the trailer behind it. But it’s really the trailer driving forward while pulling the Ranger behind it.
“Pretty much the body was removed off the ’98 Chevy Blazer and the seats were left there. The camper is bolted to it. It just drives itself. The Blazer is what pulls the whole framework of the camper,” Naumann said. “You can see the dashboard and the engine is all intact. The four wheels actually propel this camper.”
Naumann said the engine from the Ford Ranger was removed to make the ride lighter. The camper can drive by itself, but Naumann always has the Ranger with it so spectators can get the full illusion.
“The same guy that did the van for me did this,” Naumann said. “I saw this about three years ago up in Flint at Back to the Bricks. Very nice, high-end cars go there.”
While en route, Naumann often
“When driving down the road, you love to see people, especially little kids, smiling and pointing at it,” Jerry Naumann said. “I just love seeing the expression on their faces and the fact they enjoy it.”
keeps the speedometer at 40 mph. There is no radio, and the air conditioner doesn’t work, but the windows bring in fresh air. Naumann attaches a wire between the two vehicles so the Ranger’s taillights and turn signals work.
“That way people see when they’re coming up behind the truck if I’m turning
or breaking,” he said.
The camper stands about 7 1/2 feet in height. Naumann gets a kick out of driving the rig around town. When people see him driving by, they pull out their cameras to take photos and videos.
“It’s that shock and awe, I guess,” Naumann said. “When driving down the road,
you love to see people, especially little kids, smiling and pointing at it. I just love seeing the expression on their faces and the fact they enjoy it.”
Naumann lives close enough to the Berkley CruiseFest Classic Car Parade on 12 Mile Road that he can see people as they mark their spots with lawn chairs and canopies to get a good view of the event. He loves to see so many spectators come to town, which he said boosts the economy and puts Berkley on the map. The same goes for the Woodward Dream Cruise, which stretches through several communities in Oakland County.
Naumann has always been interested in cars, something that was in the family’s DNA.
“I restored many cars and painted many cars,” he said. “My dad was into cars and my older brother was into cars.”
Along with the backward camper, Naumann owns two Plymouth Prowlers: a 1999 model and a 2001 model. The ’01 Prowler has 130,000 miles on it.
“That one, I drove all over the country just to events,” said Naumann, who belongs to the online Plymouth Prowler Enthusiasts car club.
This year, the club met up in Hocking Hills, Ohio. Last year, the Prowler peeps got together for camaraderie in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
Michigan Family Physician Diagnosed with Late-Stage Cancer After Experiencing is One Symptom
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LATE DETECTION
is agonizing truth was personally experienced by Dr. Warren Ringold, a respected family physician and the visionary behind Bionicc Body Screening. He shockingly discovered he had stage four cancer with tumors as large as softballs, only after experiencing shortness of breath. His brutal treatments and subsequent brain tumor recurrence ignited a profound mission: there had to be a better way to nd serious conditions before they became critical.
FULL BODY MRI SCANS
Dr. Ringold founded Bionicc Body Screening in 2022, establishing Michigan’s rst MRI full body screening center. His purpose was to empower individuals with groundbreaking insights into their health through advanced body screening
technologies. Today, his son, Ryan, passionately carries on this mission and understands the urgency: “We all know someone who awoke with an unexplained symptom and discovered they had stage four cancer. Once you have symptoms, cancer is usually advanced,” he states. “My father never wanted another person to su er from late detection. He wanted to save lives.”
71% OF TUMORS GROW UNDETECTED
While annual physicals are important, they have critical limitations. Standard screenings only detect about 29% of cancers, leaving a staggering 71% to potentially develop undetected in other areas of your body. Bionicc Body Screening o ers a comprehensive solution. Proactive full-body MRI screenings provide an unparalleled picture of your
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A LIFE SAVED
Mark B. was initially skeptical, but his proactive screening revealed a 3 cm lung mass that tested positive for cancer. He credits the scan for saving his life after three-fourths of his lung was removed. e fee for a full body MRI is an investment in your health and wellbeing, but the true cost of delaying could be far greater. Schedule your scan today.
Photo by Liz Carnegie
AUTUMN FLOWER PLANTING BRINGS FALL CHEER AND A BRIGHTER SPRING
BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — Planting flowers around your home in the fall can help bring color and cheer to the otherwise dreary autumn season, and it will brighten your spring season as well.
“It’s a great time of year to grow flowers,” said Matt Colonius, co-owner of Piechnik’s Garden Center and Nursery in Oakland Township and Piechnik’s Greenhouse in Clio. “I mean, it’s a great time of year to establish gardens and rework beds.“
He said that as a landscape architect, the flowers do a lot to enhance the entryway of a home. He said the options are “endless,” and there are plenty of things to be added to a flower garden to enhance it, such as gourds, pumpkins and cornstalks.
“It’s endless. It’s not just natural beauty, but there’s other elements to this that can be added,” Colonius said.
“Fall is for planting,” said Nancy Kassab, owner of Flowers by Nancy K in Berkley. “By planting now, you’ll enjoy early blooms as soon as spring arrives.”
Colonius said that early fall is the best time for planting your spring flowers, but it can be done until at least Halloween.
“It’s a great time to plant perennials, especially this year with the cooler weather moving in early, they get rooted into the ground really well now and should be in place and ready for spring,” Colonius said.
“Tulips and daffodils are planted in the fall and not in the spring,” Piechnik’s co-owner Stan Piechnik said. “Everybody thinks that because it’s a spring flower you plant it in the spring, and it’s not. Fall bulbs are important.”
Kassab said that fall planting gives perennials and spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils time to establish roots before the ground freezes. She said the cool weather reduces stress on plants, and fall is therefore an ideal time to refresh garden beds.
“It’s more hostile for rooting in the summer than it is in
ABOVE: Floral designer Amy Carrier shows some of the fall decorations and flowers offered at Piechnik’s Garden Center and Nursery in Oakland Township.
LEFT: Pansies are a popular flower that can be planted in the fall. Photos provided by Piechnik’s Garden Center and Nursery
Fountain
from page 3A
tion. The work includes the addition of new guards designed to protect the fountain from visitor damage.
The lights are also being restored, which have not been active for more than a decade.
“The colorful lights within the fountain are being repaired and restored, bringing back a key feature of the original design,” Davids said.
Hugo Cardenas, superintendent of facilities with Venus Bronze Works, said that the Star Dream fountain is funded through the Downtown Development Authority, and the repairs cost a total of $25,000.
“The Downtown Development Authority funds the cleaning of the statue annually. At their September 2024 meeting, the board approved a recommendation to provide additional necessary work, including granite edging to address skateboard damage, lighting repairs, the addition of new skateboard deterrent railings, and removal and reinstallation of the fountains lining,” Cardenas said. “These repairs will beautify the fountain and enhance longevity.”
Cardenas said that the removal and installation of the new lining was the most dif-
ficult part of the renovation process, as well as replacing the lighting.
“This process involved media blasting down to the substrate, which also required substrate repairs to prepare for the new liner. Additionally, due to the unique design of the granite, custom skateboard deterrent railings had to be made to fit properly,” he said. “Since the fountain lighting had not worked for some time, new electrical wiring needed to be routed to the electrical panel. This included installing new electrical conduit to the fountain and reinstalling waterproof lighting.”
Repairing the historical landmark that is the Star Dream Fountain is something that will brighten up the downtown area and make it whole again, according to Cardenas.
“The Star Dream Fountain is a wellknown landmark in the city, attracting visitors from all over. This beautiful statue was created by Royal Oak’s own Marshall Fredericks in his studio in Royal Oak,” Cardenas said. “Restoring the fountain to its former glory will invigorate the city’s residents and encourage more patrons to visit Centennial Commons in downtown Royal Oak, where a variety of wonderful events are hosted in the park.”
Repairs on the statue have been completed as of Aug. 26.
Planting
the fall,” Colonius said. “The spring is also a good time for us where rooting is heavier than growth. So, if the plant is not producing a lot of growth, it’s rooting into the ground stronger.”
Kassab said it is also a good time to plant hardy seasonal flowers. She said the most popular outdoor fall flower by far is the chrysanthemum, but other seasonal flowers include pansies, violas, ornamental kale and cabbage, camellias, and winter jasmine.
“For fall color you want to put in a lot of hardy mums; we sell some other hardy annuals like pansies, celosia, and some of the other annual grasses like purple fountain grass, and those are best used in planters for the fall,” said Colonius.
According to Colonius, many people are looking for fall flowers right now to enhance and freshen up their gardens as a result of the heat this summer.
“Hardy mums are a great way to do that, and we sell over 80 different varieties of hardy mums,” he said. “Hardy asters are great this time of year both for gardens and for planting in planters.”
He said the flowers that are not going to come back are best used for color by the door of your home, and the hardy perennials should be put directly into the ground.
Piechnik said that it is important to look into flower bulbs that are more resistant to deer. According to Piechnik, daffodils are much more resistant to deer than tulips; however, there are some newer tulip varieties that are resistant to deer.
Colonius said that in the spring, the flower bulbs come up and the deer like to eat them, essentially eating the flowers and ruining a garden.
Colonius said that they have a lot of products that offer some resistance to the deer, but nothing is foolproof.
“There’s really nothing that completely works for the deer,” he said. “They may smell at one and back away from it, but long term they might get used to the smell and figure nothing happened so I’m going to go ahead and eat it anyways, so we sell a lot of products that are kind of that way and they begin to work, and when the deer figure it out, they go ahead and chow down anyway. So, the jury’s kind of out on that one,” Colonius said.
He said there have been changes in the flower, nursery and landscaping industry because of the deer. He said they now often consider what plants will grow and not get eaten because of the deer.
Fall bouquets are another option to brighten a home. Kassab said the best flowers for fall bouquets include sunflowers, dahlias, roses, eucalyptus and narcissus. She said winter jasmine is “sunshine in winter,” amaryllis is “festive and dramatic,” paperwhites offer “fragrant elegance,” cyclamen has vibrant petals and heart leaves, and orchids offer lasting beauty.
“Flowers are so beautiful; they add color, texture and variety, instantly brightening up any space,” Kassab said.
She said that sun-loving flowers are usually low-maintenance if watered regularly and are good for those who are new to gardening.
Other easy-to-care-for flowers are marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers and geraniums, Kassab said, while roses, lavender and daisies need more moderate care.
According to Kassab, flowers are proven to reduce stress and boost happiness.
“Coming home to a garden of blooms creates a calming, uplifting environment,” she said.
from page 8A
Nancy Kassab, owner of Flowers by Nancy K, poses for a picture inside her flower shop in Berkley.
Photo provided by Nancy Kassab
