Ave Maria Garden - Canada

05/23/2026

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? (John 21:15)”

We see the many ways Jesus has loved us, even to the point of giving up his life for us.

None of us loves Jesus perfectly—it’s a lifelong journey. But each day, we can grow to love him more. As we spend time with him in prayer, we experience more of his goodness, and our hearts become softer.

“Jesus, you know everything. You know that I love you.”


(Inspired by https://www.wau.org)

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

What a truly blessed day we experienced at Ave Maria Garden service at Maple Residence! On Monday (May 18), we had the pleasure of creating a magnificent floral arrangement with a beautiful glass jar generously provided by a neighbor, Michelle.

In a wonderful display of sustainability, we upcycled carnation stems from our Mother’s Day school project to construct a lovely scaffold structure. This creation featured two vibrant purple blazing stars, a delightful clip of white seaholly, a charming arrangement of purple spray mums, and a lovely pink rose. Each flower occupies its own space, and the scaffold design combines to form a colorful testament to God’s creation.

Remarkably, the special florals we used today possess the ability to retain their vibrant colors when dried, assuring that our artistic endeavor will brighten our clients’ rooms for years to come.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated volunteer team: Jane, Hedy, Mena, Li, Eunice and Audrey.

God bless your all!

05/19/2026

🌸✨ Faith, Flowers & Beautiful Encounters ✨🌸

We are incredibly proud of Helen for courageously stepping beyond her comfort zone to lead a floral workshop on her own for the very first time! 🌷 What a beautiful reminder that God can work through us when we trust Him and say “yes” with faith.

On May 13, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, Ave Maria Garden had the joy of hosting a special floral workshop together with members of Catholic Street Missionaries. 💐

Inspired by the story of Fatima, Helen thoughtfully created an arrangement featuring one tall carnation representing Our Lady, surrounded by three smaller carnations symbolizing Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco — the three shepherd children. 👸✨ The contrasting paper fans beautifully reflected the radiance of God’s light shining over them.

Every gathering reminds us that flower arranging is about much more than creating something beautiful. Through flowers, we connect hearts, share stories, encourage one another, and gently witness to the faith, hope, and love that unite us. 🌿❤️

A heartfelt thank you to all our dedicated volunteers who generously offered their time, patience, and loving service. Your quiet acts of kindness helped create a warm and joyful space where everyone felt welcomed and valued. 🙌

The moments shared together become lasting memories — reminders that faith and love continue to bring people together across generations and communities. 💫

We would also love to support our partner Catholic Street Missionaries as they prepare for their upcoming *Hope on Horizon 2026* event this August, serving our homeless brothers and sisters with compassion and dignity. 🙏 We invite everyone to keep this mission in your prayers and support however you can.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. 💙

FaithHopeLove ServeWithLove CommunityInChrist VolunteerWithJoy

05/07/2026

05/07/2026

🌸 Growing Community Through Flowers, One Bouquet at a Time 🌸

🌸 Day 1 completed at our school floral project, partnered with General Currie Elementary school ,and what a meaningful day it has been for everyone involved.🥰🌸🥰

Over the course of the day, students from kindergarten to Grade 7 created their own hand-tied bouquets and heartfelt cards for someone special, or even for themselves. Beyond learning floral design, the children were encouraged to express appreciation, kindness, creativity, and confidence in their own unique ways. Watching their smiles, focus, excitement, and sense of accomplishment reminded us how powerful simple hands-on experiences can be.

This project is much more than making flower bouquets. It is about community building across generations, cultures, and backgrounds.

Our volunteers came from all walks of life, retirees, young adults, newcomers, community partners, parents, and experienced volunteers, each bringing their own gifts and strengths into the space. Some helped guide children patiently one flower at a time, some prepared supplies behind the scenes, some translated across languages, some provided food and transportation support, while others simply offered encouragement and warmth throughout the day.

What we witnessed today was the beauty of intergenerational connection and inclusion in action. Seniors worked alongside youth. Newcomers connected with local families. Volunteers discovered new confidence, friendships, and purpose through serving together.

For many of our volunteers, this experience is not only about giving back, but also about:
🌿 building confidence and leadership
🌿 staying socially connected
🌿 developing new skills and experiences
🌿 overcoming isolation
🌿 creating meaningful friendships and purpose within the community

We are deeply thankful to the school, teachers, parent volunteers, and community partners for opening the doors for this meaningful collaboration.

At Ave Maria Garden, we believe everyone has unique gifts to share, just like different flowers coming together in one bouquet. When people come together with care and purpose, beautiful things happen 🌸

Day 1 complete… and we are excited for Day 2 and 3 ahead! 💛

04/30/2026

“If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” (John 13:17)

It’s a simple but powerful reminder from Jesus Christ—faith isn’t just about what we know, but how we live.

It’s easy to agree with His teachings, to nod along and say, “Yes, that’s right.” But the real blessing comes when we put those words into action—when we choose humility over pride, love over resentment, and service over self.

Today, maybe it’s not about learning something new, but living out what we already know. In the quiet, ordinary moments—how we treat others, how we respond, how we love—that’s where faith becomes real.💛



(Inspired by https://www.wau.org)

04/29/2026

*Proudly featuring Swan Lake production with flowers*

What a joyful day at **SUCCESS Chinatown**!
A big thank you to **Linda and Julie** our ballerinas of the day, also our facilitator today Jane,
bringing a beautiful **Swan Lake flower workshop** to life 🦢🌸

Every buddy today was so patient, listening step by step and creating their **first‑ever Swan Lake floral design**. It was amazing to see how simple foliage and a few blooms could turn a shared vision into something so elegant and meaningful.

We are truly grateful for the **wisdom, creativity, patience, and courage** given to us—to reach out, serve different communities, and share beauty through flowers. 🌷
Our reward is the joy of volunteering, a sense of belonging, the happiness of achievement, and we give all the glory to God. ❤️🙏

This is community—learning, creating, and growing together.

04/05/2026

Lord is risen

# Easter

04/03/2026

Easter is just around the corner, and Ave Maria Garden had the heart-filling pleasure of supporting the Hamilton High Street Residence once again by hosting a floral workshop overflowing with color and joy. We began the session with a meaningful quiz led by our facilitator, Vivian, who asked a simple yet profound question: "What are we celebrating for Easter?" The answer, at its core, is all about Love. We gathered to honor the sacrifice of God’s only Son, Jesus, who took up our sins and rose again, bringing us the eternal hope of resurrection.

This spirit of devotion was brought to life by our wonderful volunteers—Anny, Avis, Lisa, Rowena, and Vadous—who supported each table with grace. From the initial prepping of baskets and flowers to guiding each senior step-by-step through the arrangement, the process was a beautiful lesson in patience and the joy of co-creation. It served as a powerful reminder that with companionship and shared faith, what once seemed impossible truly becomes possible.

Adding to the warmth of the day was the wonderful involvement of the children, who helped bridge the generations through small acts of kindness. The kids handwritten heartfelt greeting messages in Chinese and folded them into delicate origami birds, hiding them inside large golden Easter eggs as a special surprise for each senior. Every petal placed and every note written served as a reflection of God’s love, reminding us that through faith and community, we are all anchored in a hope that never fades.

As we look forward to the resurrection of Christ, we carry the joy of this day in our hearts, grateful for the opportunity to plant seeds of kindness and watch them bloom into a beautiful community of faith. We wish you all a blessed Easter season filled with the peace and promise of His eternal love.

If you love what we do, support our love action here! - https://avemariagarden.ca/giving/