By Staff
GARDEN WORK – Sallie Gray looks at a handful of home-grown radishes that she and other residents of Beverly HealthCare-Broadmoor planted. Katherine Mayatt, left, Louise Watkins and Helen Kelsheimer also check on the garden. Photo by Paula Merritt / The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
June 9, 2002
On any given day, residents at Beverly HealthCare-Broadmoor can be found sipping iced tea in the shade while enjoying a vegetable garden they planted this spring. The idea for the garden came from Sabrina Williams, the nursing home activities director along with encouragement from nursing home resident Sallie Gray.
Another resident, Louise Watkins, called Gray a great cheerleader for the project. Watkins said that Gray "got behind it and made it grow."
Whatever the source, the garden is one example of the nursing home's efforts to give its residents something meaningful and enjoyable to do every day. Some find the garden therapeutic.
Wide variety
The garden, in an outdoor sitting area for Beverly employees and residents, is packed with radishes, squash, hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, green beans, mustard greens and cucumbers.
Jeff Holloway, maintenance supervisor at Beverly, prepared the garden for planting and built it up so that residents who are in wheelchairs can reach the soil to plant.
Holloway also placed a flower garden near the vegetable garden. Residents began decorating stepping stones for the flower bed on Thursday.
Gray's choice for the vegetable garden was squash, but she confessed Wednesday that she doesn't much care for it on her plate.
Favorite vegetable
Katherine Mayatt, another resident, planted her favorite vegetable in the garden green beans. Besides growing food and giving residents exercise, she said, the garden also has other benefits.
Williams said the nursing home intends to have gardens from this point forward including a fall garden.
Anita Thompson said her mother, Beverly resident and Alzheimer's patient Elouise Glass, related to the gardening immediately. Glass even helped plant some of the vegetables.
Thompson said she was glad to see her mother and other residents enjoy the outdoors.