Ballard Blossom celebrated Good Neighbor Day on Wednesday, September 7, by given away flowers and spreading goodwill.

Started in 1994 by a florist in Jackson, Mississippi, Good Neighbor Day was started as a way to spread goodwill in the community, said Ballard Blossom co-owner Rachel Martin.

"The idea is that you get a free bouquet of flowers and you keep one and give the others to 11 different people," Martin said.

"It's bigger back East as more florists have picked up on it," Martin said. "I just wanted to give it a try. Thought it would be a fun event at the end of the summer and make people smile."

This was the first time for Ballard Blossom to celebrate this event and they celebrated it big, giving away 80 dozen roses, offering free samples of gourmet treats, beverages, and prize give-aways.

While the event started at 9 a.m., one eager man waited outside the shop on a little chair at 8 a.m., Martin said. "Of course, we told him he didn't have to wait and gave him some flowers," she added.

Only a handful of people showed up in the first hour, but all had touching ideas on who to share the flowers with.

"I'm going to give them to my neighbors. I don't think they're even up yet. But they are really nice neighbors," said Harriet Kemp, who had a tough time picking out the right color flowers. "They're all so beautiful," she said.

Another senior citizen, Jeanne Moser, came into the flower shop on her way to a Red Hatters meeting at the Senior Center.

"I have a meeting and I want to give them all some flowers," Moser said.

Suzie came in with her dog Keiko and intended to use the flowers to say thank you to her Ballard neighbors.

"I'm moving and I have a very nice neighbor upstairs who has watched my dog and took me to the emergency hospital once," she said. "I also know a woman who is expecting any day now...I don't think I'll even keep one flower because my vases are all packed up."

Martin said they will hold the event again next year, on September 7th, and hopes to draw a big crowd then.