When Len and Debbie Schroeder settled on purple as the primary shirt color for their garden center, Bloomer’s, they had no idea how symbolic it would become.
Before they settled and dug roots in Washington Township, they worked at Len’s family’s farmers market in North Jersey. Len, a third-generation nurseryman, and Debbie, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, decided to start their own business and began looking for land everywhere from New Hampshire to Virginia. In 1988, the two 24-year-olds found a plot of land on the corner of what is now Fish Pond Road and Cross Keys Road to live and start their own garden center.
“We put everything into it and built it from a little place to what it is now. I still think of it as a local garden center,” Len said.
According to Len, Debbie ran the inside of the shop covering the Christmas section and gifts, and ensuring the cash registers settled at the end of the night. Len ran the outside nursery, but said the two could interchange.
The Schroeders embraced the community. They raised three children in the township – Melissa, Adam and Carl.
Tragedy struck the family when Debbie suffered a stroke at the age 47 in 2011. After the stroke, it was life as normal until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 50. Len said doctors could not confirm if the stroke was connected to the Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
A fact sheet provided by the Alzheimer’s Association says approximately 85,000 people in South Jersey are affected by Alzheimer’s or a related condition. There are close to 10,000 Alzheimer’s or similarly affected people in Gloucester County alone.
The diagnosis the Schroeders to different support groups, but they found they were by far the youngest people in the room. Len said he and Debbie were the ages of the other patients’ children. Upon speaking to the group coordinator, the two found a support group for others who suffer from early onset Alzheimer’s in the Marlton/Medford area.
The summer solstice, June 21, the longest day of the year, used to mean extra sunlight for his plants. This year’s longest day took on a new meaning – “The Longest Day” is the second-biggest fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. According to Associate Director of Media Communications for the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter Sherylle Linton Jones, this day allows people to raise money in any fashion they want. Whether it’s a hot dog eating contest or binge watching movies, the fundraising goes into the creative hands of those wishing to donate.
Len coupled his love for the nursery and his passion to end Alzheimer’s to raise just shy of $1,500 for the Alzheimer’s Association. For every purple plant sold, ironically named “Purple with a Purpose,” Len would donate $1 to the Alzheimer’s Association. For every coordinating hanging basket, he would donate $5. Couple this with online donations, and customers putting donations in a box by the register, and Len raised almost $1,500 from June 1 to 21.
If the symbolism and irony of owning a purple-themed nursery and hosting a big fundraiser on the summer solstice isn’t enough, the Schroeders received a surprise the week of “The Longest Day.”
Len was contacted by former employee Dawn “Mikki” Bakely. He thought she was trying to get her daughter a job at the garden center. He was mistaken.
Bakely showed up to Bloomer’s the Monday before “The Longest Day” and informed Len his former employees from the 1990s would be coming back to volunteer on June 21. Len was shaken by the sentiment.
The community embraced them back.
Any donation is greatly appreciated, and help from the community is all the Schroeders could ask for. Linton Jones expressed her gratitude.
“We’re appreciative of supporters like Len who take time out of their day to show their support for the Alzheimer’s Association by participating in events and initiatives like ‘The Longest Day,'” she said.
Nowadays Debbie no longer works at Bloomer’s. She spends her days with her caregiver and former Bloomer’s employee Mary Carr. Len nicknamed her “Radar” like the character on the television show “M*A*S*H” due to her ability to, for lack of better words, read his mind. Carr’s role now is to make Debbie’s days as normal as possible. The two go for walks in the park, go to movies and go out to lunch.
Debbie’s favorite lunch place is Friendly’s – her go-to order is a grilled cheese sandwich and diet Coke.
“I pray for Deb every day and ask God to help me meet her needs when I am with her and trust God for direction to bless her as much as she blesses me,” Carr said.
Carr added she does the best she can because she wants to be there for the Schroeder family.
Who knew when two 24-year-olds from North Jersey settled down to start a small garden center in Washington Township they would have an everlasting effect on the community they call home?
“Our customers are our family, we put a lot of time into this,” Len said. “We work six days, when we first started it was seven. Not a whole lot has changed, all our customers have become friends,” Len said.
Linton Jones said the majority of funds go toward funding research as well as programs and services offered locally in South Jersey. For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org. The Alzheimer’s Association has a 24/7 help line folks can call with questions at (800) 272-3900.
