Let it grow!  Two green-thumbed Harmony at Waldorf, Maryland, residents, Peggy Scott and Dennis Parker, found a new way to spice up their lives in their senior living community—creating a garden club and growing delicious herbs, spices, and vegetables.   

The idea for the garden club began when Peggy wanted to find a way to add spices to her meals while following her dietary restrictions.  In a spark of genius, Peggy decided that the best and most enjoyable way to gain spices for her food was to grow them herself.  

Soon after forming the idea,  Peggy brought her friend Dennis on to be a co-founder. The duo bonded over their love of gardening and shared the vision of a resident-run garden that they would call Harmony Harvests.  

It wasn’t long before other residents became eager to join the garden club.  

“It touches my heart so much. Dennis used to garden, and I used to have a garden at my house,” Peggy said. “A lot of us who are doing this gardened at our homes before living at Harmony.”  

Dennis’s gardening journey began with him growing tomatoes alongside his father in their raised container garden. The patio containers at Harmony at Waldorf brought him back to those childhood moments and helped him envision a raised garden of his own in the community.  

Peggy and Dennis set their sights on a beautiful location for their garden—the patio. The pair pictured all their friends hanging out on the patio, surrounded by flowers and foliage.  As they turned that dream into reality, the garden club kept growing.  

After hosting the first meeting, Peggy was overwhelmed by the support from the community.  

“At our first garden club meeting, there were more people than I ever thought there would be,” Peggy remembered with excitement. “This struck a nerve throughout the entire community here, even with management. Our chef is more than excited to use the spices we grow in the garden.”  

Peggy and Dennis grow a variety of herbs in their garden, hoping to cultivate a strong ambiance.  

“I was excited about a garden of fragrances,” Dennis said. “Like oregano, rosemary, basil, lilac.” 

Dennis and Peggy see Harmony Harvests as an activity that all Harmony at Waldorf residents can enjoy. Those in Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care can all contribute to the garden.  

“It's something that all levels of residency can do,” Peggy said. “I'm a nurse. I used to work with dementia patients, and I know they're going to love it.” 

As their garden has become bountiful, the club co-founders have already started to use their herbs in the dining hall.  

“At dinner we had iced tea, and I said, ‘Who wants mint with their iced tea?" Peggy recalled. “And a few people said, ‘Oh, yeah.’ So, I went outside and plucked some mint from the plant. I just gave them out, and it was so yummy.” 

In addition to the garden club, residents throughout all Harmony communities enjoy a range of clubs and activities.  To learn more and schedule a tour, visit a Harmony location near you.