Past the wetlands and across a wooden bridge lies one of the most vibrant places on the campus of Landis Homes: the gardens. Each resident garden plot is about 40 feet long and 15 feet wide. Some grow flowers, and many produce seasonal vegetables of all kinds, including squash, potatoes, red beets, spinach, radishes, sugar peas, and lettuce.


Enriching


Lives, Together


R


esidents Dave Martin and Tom Kline oversee the gardening group, and they work closely with Chris Gilroy, Landis Homes Grounds


Manager, who serves as the liaison between Landis Homes and the gardeners. Dave has been gardening since he helped his parents with their World War II Victory Gardens as a child in Lancaster. He had his own gardens prior to moving to Landis Homes.


Tom, on the other hand, didn’t dip his toes into gardening until he met his wife, Janet.


“She was a former farm girl and got me into gardening at the house we used to have, and I got to like it,” Tom said. “I really enjoy doing it today. I feel like it’s such a blessing to have a garden on the campus.”


Having the opportunity to get outside and work in the gardens has provided a great outlet for so many residents at Landis Homes over the past year.


“Everyone’s combined experience makes gardening a little more pleasant,” Dave explained. He described how the group tries to think of innovative solutions to ensure gardens yield the best crops possible. In fact, this year, with compost and soil provided by Landis Homes, the group is working together to battle a soil-borne wilt that was attacking tomato plants.


Te team of resident gardeners begin working the soil in early- to mid-March and start harvesting in May. Dave, Tom, and Chris agree that community is one of the key values that the garden fosters. “Te task at hand is not always the most important part


of this job,” said Chris. “Taking the time to engage with residents is as important, if not more so, than maintaining the grounds.” Chris enjoys witnessing the community that the garden club has formed among themselves.


“We like to chit-chat,” Tom said, of the group. “You make a lot of new friends.”


Dave shared how the gardening group strives to create opportunities for people who might be experiencing mobility issues and for whom working in the gardens might be complicated. Te group seeks to find ways to involve everyone. “It gets everyone outside to interact with nature and neighbors,” Dave said. “We’re hoping to expand these opportunities.”


Perhaps one of the biggest instances in which the gardens facilitate community is when crops yield extra vegetables. Gardeners package them up and take them to the Landis Homes General Store so that other residents can enjoy the taste of vegetables grown right on the campus.


“I’m absolutely grateful Landis Homes makes the gardens a priority,” Dave said.


“Gardening brings me joy,” said Tom.


“Residents here have compassion for each other. Everyone has been very friendly and accommodating. We heard about the reputation of Landis Homes, and that’s why we moved here.”


Landis.org | FLOURISH | Summer 2021 • 5


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