“We brought whatever we had blooming,” Spahr said. “It was just a surprise. We all showed up with what we had, and then we put them together there.”

Spahr contributed mostly zinnias, while Parker brought gladioluses and created the elegant arrangement displayed on the buffet table, according to Strickland.

The flowers provided a fitting setting for a presentation by Madi DeShezo, garden manager and horticultural educator at The Farmer’s House. She explained how the Weston-based nonprofit uses gardening, food preparation and retail operations to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities develop practical and vocational skills.

The organization’s Early Work Experience Program brings students from area schools to its locations for hands-on training. Some classes attend weekly, while others participate monthly or visit once or twice during the school year.

In the garden, students plant seeds, measure the growth of sunflowers and learn about soil, weather and pollinators. They identify plants and weeds, build and maintain raised beds and help organize gardening tools and supplies.

Lessons often begin with a particular gardening task but extend well beyond it.

Students learn to follow directions, manage their time, care for equipment and return workspaces to their original condition. They may also practice customer service by helping visitors gather flowers from the organization’s experimental cut-flower garden and assemble bouquets.

The Farmer’s House has 16 raised beds at its farm location between Weston and Platte City. Students and volunteers helped construct the beds, which support both educational activities and the organization’s operations.

Maddie said sunflowers are particularly useful for teaching students because they grow relatively quickly. Students can plant them, measure their progress and observe their development over successive visits.

When the flowers finally bloom, she said, they create “an explosion of joy.”

The gardening program also introduces skills that could transfer to jobs at nurseries, landscaping companies and other businesses. The Farmer’s House is developing a system to document students’ proficiency in areas such as plant care, watering, deadheading, trimming and weed removal.

The work is intended to help participants see possibilities for themselves in the larger workforce.

“I could go work at Price Chopper, or I could go work at Earl May, and I could do this,” Maddie said, describing the confidence students can gain through the program.

The Farmer’s House also provides training through its retail markets and catering and food preparation operations. Students learn to stock merchandise, operate cash registers, greet customers, follow recipes, handle food safely and complete housekeeping tasks.

Proceeds from the organization’s three retail markets help support its programs, including the purchase of seeds, gardening gloves, raised beds and other supplies.

For the Garden Club, the presentation demonstrated how horticulture can produce more than flowers and food. It can create a sense of purpose, teach marketable skills and provide a setting in which participants can see the results of their work.

Program Chair Marilyn Lindahl arranged the presentation. Spahr said Lindahl has coordinated club programs off and on since the organization was founded, drawing upon connections throughout the Kansas City area to find speakers.

Although the programs provide opportunities to learn, Spahr said the club’s relationships remain its greatest strength.

“You learn a lot about gardening things,” she said. “But really, the best part is friends.”

The Weston Garden Club meets once a month. Meetings are open to prospective members.

Those interested in joining the Weston Garden Club may contact Marilyn Lindahl at 816-386-4090 or marilyn.renditions@gmail.com.