Residents discover growth potential

[caption id="attachment_6332" align="alignleft" width="225"]

From left, gardening friends Joan Hampton, Ora Bennett, Millie Bradley, Sally Lorch and Florence Harp.[/caption]

Gardeners tend flower beds and containers around campus

It all started with a pot of daisies. Sally Lorch’s children gave her the flowers several years ago, and she kept them growing. Then she added more and more perennials, along with hanging baskets of blooms.

“I’ve always enjoyed gardening. I like to see things grow,” Sally said.

When she moved to assisted living, another resident helped her transplant the daisies so she could keep them. Then she discovered one of her neighbors regularly received potted flowers from her family, and they were displayed on the patio. Sally started growing some on her patio, too.

Within a few years, Sally had a whole garden of flowers blooming. She has recruited a handful of other residents to help water and weed, and to tend the containers on the patio. “I enjoy doing it,” said Millie Bradley. “I do it every Tuesday morning, then they got kind of slim on help, so I’ve been doing Thursdays, too.”

Sally said she didn’t have much time for gardening while raising six children, but she has made up the lost time since they’ve grown.

The garden at Presbyterian Manor is a beautiful sight to behold during the growing season, and Sally encourages everyone to enjoy the view — however, she kindly asks that people look and don’t touch.

“It’s not a picking garden; it’s mainly a viewing garden,” she said. “If you let one person pick, then everybody feels like they can do it. Then it doesn’t last as long.”

The days may be cold and gray now, but Sally knows it’s only a few short months until it will be time to prep the beds again.

If you would like to join her gardening crew, just talk to Sally — she could use a few extra hands when spring approaches.

‍