My local garden club was invited to an open garden event in a nearby retirement community of 3,000+ residents, enough to easily fill the 168 plots in their lovely community garden. The plots were planted almost exclusively with ornamentals and the effect was both beautiful and charming.
The plots are free and having one conveys automatic membership in the Garden Club, which meets monthly, sometimes with speakers. I thought to myself, okay, if need be, I could happily garden in one of these plots, becoming part of its community of seemingly passionate gardeners.
Here are my favorite photos of that garden; scroll down to some personal gardens in the community.
It was an “Open Garden and Quilt Show” type of event.
Any Private Gardens?
I think I’d be like Sue, happily gardening here while oohing, aahing, chatting and sharing plants with 168+ other gardeners. But dammit, I want to be able to walk right outside my home/apartment/whatever and be surrounded by plants right there. And I want to be able to sit there in solitary bliss as I watch the bees and hummingbirds. The space could be tiny; in fact, small is good (as we age). So these ground-floor garden apartments might actually meet my needs. 
My mother, also an avid gardener, downsized from a quarter-acre garden to a garden apartment like these. So was it enough for her? I guess not, because she would almost beg me to let her visit me, over 100 miles away, to do some weeding in my garden. But overall it was the perfect condo community for her – with loads of retirees who had loads of time to partake of the many social activities there, especially playing bridge pool-side.
This community has card games, too, and – a full fitness center, computer labs, performing arts center, tennis, bocce, and so on, plus 300 clubs and committees, according to its website. The clubs include the Earth Day Committee, Resident Recycling Committee, Residents Supporting Sustainability, Sustainability Committee, Wildlife Habitat Committee, Birders, Garden Club and Tree Huggers! So, plenty of eco-conscious seniors live here – counter to pundits telling us they care less than Gen Whatevers. And I bet I’d make friends taking water aerobics, joining the movie group and maybe even the Ukulele players.
So am I Moving?
Moving anywhere is absolutely not in my plans! It was just 11 years ago that I downsized to an extremely social and walkable community with plenty to do and like-minded people to do them with. But admitting that none of us know what we might face as we get older and perhaps needier, I was heartened to discover such a beautiful community filled with lovers of plants.
Probably one of the most beautiful community gardens I’ve seen – and for good reason. One assumes that all of the participants are desperate to garden, still want to play with ornamentals, and see the plot as a privilege – much like older students at university with their heads down and focused. Glad you’re not moving any time soon Susan, but if you did you’d certainly energize any place you moved to. – MW
Wonderful hopeful post. I’d have to be so purposeful and economic. That is a good thing!
My mother recently moved to an independent living facility in Albany NY where she has her own apartment. She is not a gardener herself but appreciates gardens, and appreciates the woods and small pond on the edge of the community, that happens to be right outside her apartment. She was recently charmed by sighting an owl up close, and has seen deer and other wildlife there. It is really unfortunate that outdoor activities there like bocce are intermittently interrupted for a day or two, when residents are advised to stay away, after the groundskeepers spray the grass (for “weeds” like clover? For mosquitoes? Both? Not sure. Certainly it appears they use a broadleaf weed killer). This retirement village was built right next to a large shopping mall that was also built on the Albany Pine Bush, a rare and endangered ecosystem, after preservationists lost the battle to developers a few decades ago. My mother had thought nothing of the location of the retirement village or the spraying until I commented on it (maybe exploded with indignation would be a better description). The whole thing makes me so sad, on so many levels.
Maybe what I should have said above is that after my own experience, it is really heartening to hear about the multiple clubs that Susan describes at the retirement village she visited with her garden club — Earth Day, recycling, sustainability clubs etc. People of every age can be informed and care about the Earth and future generations. Very glad to hear about this, even if it is not a universal phenomenon.
I absolutely love this. The photos are glorious. It might be just the kind of place I should think about down the road, but I could never talk my husband into it! He has this crazy idea that I will garden less when he retires. Sweet man, but I need my green time.
Wow, wow, wow! I think there is a bit competitive spirit in those garden plots – residents trying to outdo each other. And the results are stunning.
My idea of hell is living in one of those places, no matter how nice. I truly hope to die right here on my 10 acres. I have water hemlock growing by my pond….. 😉
How big are the plots? The ones you featured certainly use their space very well! I especially like the one with the pond.
My grandmother visited her brother for a week in a retirement place in Florida. She said on her return she’d never move to Florida, nothing but old people. She was in her late 60’s then. Right on Grandma.
I love those garden plots! I hope to stay in our house with my garden until we need more structure and support, when we’ll look for a continuing care community. I don’t want to burden our kids with the logistics of running our household as well as theirs, which tends to be what happens with “aging in place.” But I will definitely want to go somewhere where I can garden! And also volunteer in a public garden.
OHhhhhh…now this I could sign onto. Downsizing to a small garden, lots of friends with similar interests, and beautiful places to be. And I’ll bet the competition for attention, “best rose” or the “best gardener” title is as cutthroat as ever!