how to participate in 'Flower force: america 250'
Note: Firebush plants and commemorative garden flags will be available for pickup at the entrance rotunda of the Doral Central Park Community Center (3005 NW 92nd Avenue, Doral) on June 29th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. while supplies last. Residents must present a valid driver’s license showing a Doral address. Distribution is limited to one Firebush plant and one commemorative garden flag per household.
Step 1: PLANT A FIRE BUSH
Plant a native firebush (Hamelia patens) in your yard, garden, or outdoor space.
Firebush is a Florida native that feeds pollinators, attracts hummingbirds, and thrives in our South Florida climate.
Step 2: Buy a flower force 250 flag
Each flag is a work of participatory art, and your entry into the campaign.
Step 3: PLACE YOUR FLAG, SHARE YOUR GARDen
Place your Flower Force 250 flag next to your firebush. Take a photo. Post it on social media using #FF250 and tag @CortadaFoundation.
Every photo shared adds one more living garden to the monument. Every flag placed is a vote for our community, the natural world.
FLOWER FORCE 250 flag
Each flag is a participatory art piece acting as a collaboration between the artist and the community.
When you plant your firebush and place your flag beside it, you become part of the completed work.
Price: $20 | Proceeds support the Cortada Foundation’s participatory art and environmental education initiatives.
What your $20 supports:
Activating a permanent public sculpture in Doral
Native plant education and pollinator awareness in South Florida
The Cortada Foundation’s ongoing community art programs
Why Firebush?
Firebush was selected as a signature plant because of its bright red, orange, and yellow flowers that are reminiscent of fireworks often observed on the Fourth of July.
Its blooms bring lasting color to the landscape, attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and offer a way to keep the Fourth of July celebration growing long after the fireworks are gone.
“Traditionally, monuments ask us to look back,” said Cortada. “This one asks us to take part.”
“For America’s 250th birthday, we are giving her flowers, living wildflowers planted in her own land, and a new generation of environmental stewards committed to growing our great nation for the next 250 years,” Cortada said.
By planting firebush, you’re contributing to the health and longevity of South Florida’s native ecosystems.
