by Andrew Engelson

Sheltering in place at her home during the coronavirus pandemic, Callista Chen was scanning the internet for ways to help struggling businesses in the International District.

That’s when she stumbled on the tulips.

Chen, who lives on Beacon Hill, had been regularly visiting the Facebook group Support the ID, seeking out tasty restaurants for takeout orders, and finding other ways to support the beleaguered neighborhood during the COVID-19 outbreak. Not long ago, Chen noticed a post from a flower grower named Nikki Cha, whose family-owned flower-growing business, Blong’s Garden, was in trouble. After Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, their stand at Pike Place Market had virtually no customers, and the closure of farmers’ markets across the city had devastated their sales. Continue reading Neighbors Unite to Bring Spring Flowers Into Their Homes—and Save a Local Business →