April Flowers
Spring has definitely sprung and we find ourselves getting ready for Growing Season 2022! As we head into May, planting plans are being made, garden beds are getting prepped and brand-new weeding gloves are being purchased.
If you’re a gardener, it’s a very exciting time as you look forward to seeing all your efforts sprout and blossom. Come mid-summer, you’ll be able to stand back and admire your hard work as you enjoy the fruits — and vegetables — of your labor.

In addition to providing wholesome produce, gardening is a great way to keep your body and brain active and engaged. Whether you’re growing veggies or flowers, there’s a lot of planning and learning that happens continually throughout the year. Constantly changing weather conditions and the new varieties of plants promise to always have you on your toes. You’ll get in plenty of steps—and side bends—every day while tending your garden and some say there are microbes in soil that act as natural antidepressants. In fact, horticultural therapy has been dated back to the 19th century and today is used to help individuals improve memory and cognitive skills, strengthen coordination, balance and endurance, learn problem solving skills and actively make connections and socialize with others.
The act of gardening has its many benefits, but the result of gardening can be just as powerful. Therapeutic gardens are popping up more and more in rehabilitative and health care settings. These gardens use the healing elements of nature, colors, textures and fragrances to provide a sense of wellness or to facilitate interaction. Duncaster’s Caleb Hitchcock Health Center has created a sensory garden designed to be a relaxing, secure space where residents can engage all of their senses as they explore.
If you’ve got a green thumb, you’re most likely familiar with the healing and mood boosting benefits of gardening. If you choose to move to Duncaster, you’ll be able to take your gardening passion with you! Our Community Gardens are prepped every year by our grounds crew and all the tools you need are stored in the shed right on site. We also have a climate-controlled, indoor greenhouse/solarium where Landscape and Garden Professional Catherine Lyons and the Duncaster Greenhouse Committee care for a variety of lush and lovely plant specimens.

Bring your planting prowess and dig into a happy and healthy lifestyle at Duncaster. Fill out the attached form to learn more or to schedule a tour.
Sources: Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, American Horticultural Therapy Association