Seniors Find Peace, Fulfillment and Community Connection through Gardening
BRAINTREE, MA— When people engage with the outdoors, they experience incredible benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. With this idea in mind, New England-based senior living firm Senior Living Residences (SLR) provides residents with immersive outdoor programming. SLR communities emphasize nature-based programs and opportunities to get residents outside — from gardening clubs to walking groups — because connecting with nature is vital to someone’s quality of life. As these seniors share their personal love of nature with their peers, they find purpose, belonging, and joy while embracing lifelong passions.
Arden Towill Creates Vibrant Spaces for Reflection
In the serene green spaces of Farmington Station, SLR’s Farmington, CT community, resident Arden Towill continues her lifelong hobby as an avid gardener. What began as a childhood love of planting flowers with her father in their family’s backyard has grown into a passion for creating spaces where every member of the senior community can take meaningful pauses in their days to connect with the natural world around them.
Arden has always loved experimenting with new plants, never shying away from the thorough care it took to plant all types of vegetables, from squash, to broccoli, to beans and lettuce. When she moved to Farmington Station, she jumped at the chance to join the Gardening Club and bond with her neighbors over the joy of gardening.
Most days, you’ll find her tending to seedlings and young vegetables, transferring them to garden beds, checking on sprouts, and tossing out weeds. The flowers and vegetables take time and patience to maintain, but it is the extra effort that Arden enjoys the most. “I love seeing my hard work pay off,” she says. When it comes to making the perfect, colorful outdoor space for her friends to enjoy, no effort is too big. “The flowers bring me peace,” Arden reflects. And if it takes a little more time bringing the perfect garden to life, then it is well worth it to bring the residents of Farmington Station the joy and tranquility that connecting with plants has brought her.
Deirdre Maxted’s Flowers Make Her Community Feel Like Home
As she worked through an impressive career as an Aer Lingus Ambassador, a gorilla trainer, and a pharmaceutical scientist, Dublin, Ireland native Deirdre Maxted’s lifelong passion has always been gardening.
After several years honing her botanical knowledge at Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland, MA and helping people find the perfect plants or flower beds for their homes, the garden was the first place she turned to when she moved to Ridgefield Station Assisted Living in Ridgefield, CT. Each spring and summer, Deirdre cherishes the time spent picking fresh tomatoes and sharing them with the community’s dining team for vibrant summer meals and filling the raised garden beds with all types of flowers.
While gardening has provided Deirdre with new knowledge and kept her grounded throughout her childhood and impressive career, the simple gesture of making a space feel a little more like home has always brought her the most joy. Now, she continues to give back at Ridgefield Station, bringing smiles to her fellow residents with the rainbow of plants.
“What I love the most about flowers is the color they bring to people’s lives,” she shared.
Joey Anderson finds new sense of belonging through Garden Group
When Joey Anderson moved into The Cambridge Homes Assisted Living community a couple of years ago, she knew she wanted to make new friends with people who loved gardening as much as she did. For Joey, gardening has always been a way for her to build community in new places, and she joined the Garden Group in the hopes of finding the same sense of belonging.
Each week, Joey and her friends in the Garden Group create unique flower arrangements for special events and the staff break room. They also distribute bouquets to the lunch program for unhoused people at the Friday Café at First Church in Cambridge, so that the people who need it most can experience the calming beauty of nature. The residents often invite people who have just moved to the community to join the group as a way to make new friends, give back to the greater community, and find peace in the outdoors.
In the warmer months, the group heads outside to the garden, where botanical expert Lisa Brukilacchio guides them in planting sprouts in the best growing conditions for a beautiful, diverse garden. As they plant snapdragons, zinnias, and more, Joey and her friends chat about their favorite plants, hobbies and interests while enjoying the beautiful green space.
“My favorite part of gardening here is doing something worthwhile outside,” said Joey. “I’ve made friends here who I might not have met outside of Garden Group, and I’m just grateful for the experience.”
For Arden, Deirdre, and Joey, working with the plants is more than just a hobby– it is a way to share a part of who they are with the residents and associates around them. This immersive outdoor programming allows them to connect with their favorite childhood memories, make new friends, and ultimately bring the peace, calm, and vibrancy of nature to each of the communities they call home.
“Connecting with nature is so important for the quality of life of our residents, and it’s incredible to see how creating green spaces and growing flowers can lift someone up and help them recognize their impact on the community as a whole,” shares Tadd Clelland, President & CEO of Senior Living Residences. “When residents can continue doing something they’ve been passionate about their whole lives and let it flourish into a way to form meaningful relationships and make our communities their own, it makes a huge difference for their sense of purpose.”