A study in 2020 found gardeners aged 60 to 95 saw physical and social plusses.
In a garden in Simsbury, you’ll meet members of a club from the Virginia Connolly Residence, a home for those age 62 and older.
“When I told my sisters they couldn’t believe it. Mona in the garden,” said Mona Martinik of Simsbury.
A place where people of all experience levels cultivate plants and friendships.
“They are my teacher. I’m 90 years old and I have to learn,” said Manqing Tong of Simsbury.
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Gardening is not just a fun activity. There can also be positive benefits.
A study in 2020 found gardeners aged 60 to 95 saw physical and social plusses.
“Every morning and every morning, very happy,” said Tong.
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Another study in 2019 found a boost in brain nerve growth in seniors following the work.
“You heard about green thumbs and mine's kind of green and purple,” said Linda Turgeon of Simsbury.
After a stroke, Turgeon now prunes and waters the flowers here.
“There's always something that you can do no matter what happens to you. So I enjoy it,” said Turgeon.
And now the space is expanding thanks to the recent addition of two new planters.
It’s the Eagle Scout project of Patrick Hydeck – the son of NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck.
“Just to know that on some level their lives are better because I built something that they love is just an amazing thought,” said Hydeck.
