Linda promised soon-to-be-wed strangers flowers from her bougainvillaea tree. Then the wind blew it all away. Thankfully, kindness took the lead with a pair of garden shears…
Johannesburg, South Africa (20 October 2025) – It began with a Facebook post from a stranger named Andries, who was searching for bougainvillaea flowers to use as confetti for his bride-to-be.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – never underestimate the magic of Facebook community groups!
Linda, whose garden was in full bloom with bright orange bougainvillaea, saw the request and happily offered to share. She promised to gather flowers for the couple in time for their wedding, some weeks on.
But, like in all good stories, a twist was waiting.
As time inched closer towards the big day, the wind came along and blew the flowers clean off Linda’s tree.
“To my utter dismay and distress, the wind blew most away and a few days ago there was nothing left,” she shared.
Rather than leaving the couple disappointed, Linda grabbed her garden shears, a black bag, and made a plan. She spent time scoping her neighbourhood, gathering petals in every colour of bougainvillaea she could find.
“Took me about an hour today, and I’m sure people found it strange, but I don’t care. A lady in a dress of all things…garden shears, and a black bag full of multicoloured bougainvillea flowers…purple, pink, fuchsia, white, orange… too pretty for words!” she says.
Her effort left the couple with a beautiful batch of bougainvillaea and a story they’ll most likely never forget.
Linda says the small act was simply part of what she believes makes life better.
“On how to be a good person. In my life, it takes nothing to be a good person. To do my good deed for the day, to help someone, even if it’s just to smile at people you pass in the street, you might just make their day…to buy a bread if someone asks for one, to offer directions…Caring is sharing,” she says.
Sometimes, it really is the smallest gestures – a bag of petals, a smile, a kind word – that mean the world to somebody else. This time, it came in a rainbow and showered two newlyweds with love.
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