Farmington Senior’s Green Thumb Inspires Residents

Originally published in the Farmington CT patch. Read the full story here.

One Farmington woman with a green thumb is not letting her retirement years go by without pushing earth and growing things.

That’s because the fresh air, blue skies, lush green trees, and shining sun make for a beautiful day for the members of Farmington Station’s Gardening Club to tend to their flowers, herbs, and vegetables. For one resident in particular, the garden is her second home.

Arden Towill has been living at Farmington Station Senior Living, 11 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, for nearly seven years and loves all of the community’s outdoor activities.

As an avid gardener for over 67 years, she is an active member of the community’s gardening club and tends to the plants every afternoon once springtime arrives.

Towill said she fell in love with gardening at an early age, when her father’s garden at her childhood home piqued her curiosity. She helped him plant seedlings, water the sprouts, toss out the weeds, and watch the flowers grow. Eventually, when she got her farmhouse in Plymouth, CT and started a family with her husband, Bill, she knew she wanted a garden of her own.

“I loved growing flowers of all sorts,” Towill shared. “Especially the beautiful colors and how they brightened up everything around me.”

Over the years, Towill developed a passion for experimenting with new plants and growing
seasonal ingredients for meals. Her childhood curiosity continued into later life. She harvested vegetables of all kinds, like tomatoes, beans, squash, broccoli, and lettuce.

“You name it, I grew it, or at least I tried,” Towill joked.

When she moved to Farmington Station, she immediately felt a connection to the expansive fields and raised garden beds, filled with the colorful flowers she knows and loves. When the weather gets warmer, Towill and her fellow garden club members carefully plant seedlings in the raised garden beds and tend to the blooming flowers. Later in the summer, the residents create flower arrangements for the lobby and common areas.

Towill eagerly gets involved in the planting process each year, from sowing seeds, transferring them to the garden beds, and checking on the sprouts each day, just like when she was a child. She has helped plant squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. When the vegetables are ready for harvest, the community’s culinary team incorporates them into seasonal dishes.

“I like to see my hard work pay off,” Towill said when asked what she enjoyed most about gardening.

For Towill, the most important part is seeing all her efforts come to life through flowers that add a little sunshine to people’s days and green plants that bring tranquility to the community’s outdoor spaces.

Each day of spring and summer reminds her of how the joy of flowers can bring the Farmington Station community together.

“Arden has been a huge part of the gardening in our community for the past few years, and it’s been incredible to watch her share all her knowledge with the Gardening Club,” said Lindsay Miller, Farmington Station’s Executive Director.

“Whenever someone walks by the gardening beds, I just see them light up and marvel at all the colors. It goes to show how something that starts as a small seedling can grow into something that puts smiles on so many faces.”

Towill has also passed on her green thumb to her three children, all of whom have gardens of their own. Her son, Bill Jr., even visited Farmington Station earlier in the spring to help her plant sunflowers, one of her favorite flowers.

“I love to sit out back on the patio and just watch the beauty of them,” Towill reflected. “They bring me peace.”