By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Gardening is serious business at Oak Crest in Parkville, Md. Each spring, more than 150 people get their hands dirty seeding, weeding, and pruning, resulting in beds of fresh vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

“Gardening is a key tool for improved health by providing exercise, stress reduction, and relaxation. From the medical perspective, researchers have documented that people who interact with plants recover more quickly from everyday stress and mental fatigue,” writes P.D. Relf in Grounds Maintenance.

A place called home
At Oak Crest, even those who don’t spend time in the gardens taste the fruits (and vegetables) of their neighbors’ labors. “Anything that we have a surplus of we give away. It builds friendships and gives you the feeling of neighborliness,” says Ann Crane, garden club president.

By offering garden beds—84, to be exact—Oak Crest ensures that when making the move from their houses, people can continue to enjoy beautiful gardens and tables full of fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

When LaRue Anderson moved to Oak Crest nine years ago from the South with her husband Harry, she applied for a garden space and began growing southern regional favorites like Swiss chard and okra. “Having a garden has made us feel at home here,” she says.

Community resources
At Oak Crest, the grounds department provides the resources needed for gardeners like Anderson. “We provide compost, mulch, water, and one free tilling per year. If they need any other assistance, we provide that on a billable basis,” says Brian Dorsey, grounds supervisor. “I also fertilize their plants when I fertilize our crops.”

Additionally, the oncampus greenhouse provides space for gardening yearround. “At the greenhouse, we provide them with potting soil, water, heat, pots (we recycle ones we use), and some basic non-toxic chemicals,” he says.