News Article
Saturday, May 08, 2010
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Resident Life Gardening
The popularity of gardening in the U.S. has grown tremendously over the past few years, and the trend has really taken hold here at Misericordia. Our Greco Gardens greenhouse is a favorite workplace for many of our residents (and community members who shop here), but it's not the only place where green thumbs are turning up. Several of our residential areas have planted gardens of their own. All kinds of wonderful things are being planted and harvested by staff and residents working together.
Dedicated residents and staff members work together to care for tomatoes, squash, basil, cilantro and dill, and lots of flowers. Our CILA gardeners are bringing up peppers, broccoli, eggplant, beans, nasturtium and sweet pea flowers. The staff at one of our children’s homes has adapted a program where residents and staff care for and learn about indoor houseplants. This is a kind of gardening too—and it is one that people can enjoy all year long.
Misericordia family members have helped us by building sturdy fencing around the plots at some of our community homes. They have also made contributions to the landscaping in parts of our campus. Friends of ours from the community, including the Kenilworth Garden Club, have volunteered their skills by planting and weeding at some of our community homes. We are also the fortunate beneficiaries of one young man’s Eagle Scout project: he presented us with eight handmade, elevated gardening tables that are accessible for gardeners who use wheelchairs! On a campus that is already so beautiful, it is truly heart-warming to see how many people are eager to pitch in and add to the quality of our environment and our community.