Flowers

Jamie Seward on Recycling Flowers & Spreading Joy

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Jamie Seward on Recycling Flowers & Spreading Joy Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00

Tom Kertscher

Flowers have the power to improve your physical and mental well-being — even more so if they are fragrant, according to peer-reviewed research. That’s part of what Jamie Seward (PolSci’97) was after when, late last year, she revived Repeat Roses, a zero-waste solution for event florals that closed its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Past clients include the Super Bowl and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.

Mainly located in Southern California, Arizona and on the East Coast, Repeat Roses transports flowers from events such as weddings and corporate events, rearranges them into smaller bouquets and delivers them to nonprofits like homeless shelters, hospitals or nursing homes. Later, a team picks up the flowers for composting and her clients receive a receipt for their charitable donation.

Seward, a Navy veteran and former attorney, also serves as senior associate director of alumni relations for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

What inspired you to take over Repeat Roses?

I have a passion for people, I have a passion for the planet and I want to leave the world a little better than I found it.

What’s the status of your business?

It’s what I like to call a ‘restart-up’ — it was a start-up and we’ve restarted it. We are up and running, we can operate anywhere in the U.S., and we’re hoping to get the word out. It takes time for word to spread that we’re back in business.

What’s it like when you deliver flowers?

There’s nothing quite like seeing the faces of the people in a homeless shelter, both the staff and the residents, and the joy on their faces when they see flowers — which are considered a luxury — brighten up their space. They’re worried about the basics, and to have something beautiful and joyful, it elevates everyone’s mood, it makes everyone feel better and it brightens up their environment.

Why do you compost the flowers?

It’s more advantageous for the environment for flowers to decompose naturally, versus putting them in a plastic bag in a landfill.

Did anything from your ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ experience guide you into doing this type of work?

I was in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at CU, and there was often a philanthropic aspect to our activities. So, it was ingrained in me very early that helping people is something I wanted to do in as many aspects of my life as possible.

Learn more about Repeat Roses at @RepeatRoses on social media or at repeatroses.com.

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Photo courtesy Jamie Seward

In Southern California, Jamie Seward (PolSci’97) leads Repeat Roses, a zero-waste solution for event florals. Past clients include the Super Bowl and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.

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How the Sunflower Got That Way

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 06:00:00 +0000

How the Sunflower Got That Way Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/01/2018 - 00:00

Amanda Clark

Researchers at CU are teasing out the modern-day sunflower's genetic history.

Humans and sunflowers go way back.

American Indians first domesticated the plant — prized for its seeds, oil and beauty — around 3,000 B.C.

Over the next 5,000 years, the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus, evolved dramatically and rapidly, resulting in the cheer-inducing plant we know today, with its single large head, broad yellow flowers, large seeds rich in high-quality oil and (unfortunately) weaker drought tolerance.

A 5,000-year journey to the flower we know.

“Evolutionarily speaking, that’s very fast,” said Chris Smith (PhDEPOBio’20), a graduate student in CU’s ecology and evolutionary biology department who’s been teasing out fine details of the sunflower’s genetic journey.

While humans have had a heavy hand in the sunflower’s transformation through selection and breeding, for example, interbreeding with other wild species has also shaped the domesticated plant we know today, according to Smith and colleagues, including CU professor Nolan Kane.

In recent work with sunflowers, the scientists focused on a common genetic process called alternative splicing, which allows a single gene to direct production of multiple proteins. This efficiency can lead to observable variations. They found that domesticated sunflowers had developed several new forms of splicing distinct from those of wildflowers and, in some cases, from the earliest domesticated sunflowers.

Ultimately, the scientists were able to pinpoint where alternative splicing had introduced certain characteristics of the modern-day sunflower.

They hope their work with sunflowers will help them decipher the evolutionary mechanics of other life forms — and not just plants. Smith’s got his eye on the barn swallow next.

Photo @iStock/rojoimages

CU researchers dig deep into the beloved flower’s evolutionary history

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Campus Photo of the Week

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:17:50 +0000

Campus Photo of the Week Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/22/2018 - 12:17

Spring greeted campus just in time for break. Students return to ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ Monday, April 2 to finish out the semester. In the meantime, flowers and wildlife are settling in for the season. What's your favorite Spring Break memory?

Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado

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Flowers

Jamie Seward on Recycling Flowers & Spreading Joy

What inspired you to take over Repeat Roses?

What’s the status of your business?

What’s it like when you deliver flowers?

Why do you compost the flowers?

Did anything from your ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ experience guide you into doing this type of work?

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How the Sunflower Got That Way

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Campus Photo of the Week

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Did anything from your ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ experience guide you into doing this type of work?