For nearly 20 years, our residents have been energetically tending to personalized gardening plots amidst our peaceful, park-like grounds. Over the years, this senior living activity has grown organically, just like our tomato plants. This pastime of several of our residents is a quintessential example of what the Plattduetsche Home Society experience is all about.
Personal Vegetable Garden Plots Flourish on Our Grounds
Our residents’ gardening activities started small in February 2002. Over the years, the size of the plots has grown ten-fold, bringing countless hours of joy to seniors at our retirement home. Today, it is bigger and better than ever before through the support of our board of directors. Our once humble gardens now have an irrigation system, rose bushes, and even a small fishpond. In these now fertile plots, our residents have grown many types of vegetables, including a prized foot-long squash.
A Daily Activity Brings Joys to Our Residents
Tending to the vegetable garden has become a daily activity at our retirement home. Without leaving our grounds, our residents have had the opportunity to grow everything from tomatoes to cucumbers to zucchini. In fact, our seniors’ plants sometimes produce such a bountiful harvest they can’t even give all the vegetables away.
How Gardening Enhances the Senior Living Experience
For those who participate, gardening is not just a way to pass the hours. Like the fantastic amenities we provide, this activity enhances the senior living experience in many ways, including:
- Bringing joy
- Providing stress relief
- Improving mental health
- Getting a better night’s sleep
For these four reasons and many more, the Plattduetsche Home Society remains committed to supporting our residents’ interest in gardening and other senior living activities.
Our Board of Directors Digs in to Support Resident Gardens
Once the residents of our retirement home took a keen interest in vegetable gardening, our board of directors noticed and provided support to feed the growth of this activity. Our irrigation system was extended to cover these plots, eliminating the need for watering cans. In addition, we improved the topsoil and added new storage options for gardening tools to encourage our seniors’ constructive hobbies.
See What Senior Living Looks Like at Our Retirement Home
The Plattduetsche Home Society is a lively senior living home that provides a wide array of wonderful amenities, cozy living conditions, and a complete network of support services. Our Adult Home Care and Enriched Housing complexes offer a homey environment with a wide array of amenities, comfortable living conditions, and a full network of support services. Take a virtual tour today to see everything our retirement home has to offer.
