GASTON — Residents of Hampton Manor Assisted Living woke up early Saturday morning to start their new garden.
It was around 7 a.m. when residents of the facility were outside and ready to start their new garden club with supplies donated by Vidant North Hospital, said Joanne Cox, director of food operations at Vidant. .
Cox said residents had assembled the raised beds and were excited to get started. When asked how the idea for the gardening club came about, she said her father, Jonathan Pierce, is a resident of the facility and she would visit him one day. Cox said she took her dad out in the back one day and noticed some potential.
“I saw how pretty it was here, and they didn’t have a garden,” she said. “I heard they had a garden many years ago. So I said, let’s start a garden.
Cox said she spoke to someone inside the facility where Hampton Manor staff also had the same idea of creating a garden.
“And we did,” she said. “So that they [Vidant] given everything from the floor you see, the beds here, all the gloves, all the plants, all the little things here. They have the rakes to hoe the spade. So that’s the start. »
The residents involved in the planting that morning were energetic and excited to help create the garden.
Hampton Manor resident Billy Lowe said he was enthusiastic about the garden and even gave advice on how to dig a trench to plant the bush beans.
“When I was young, my dad taught me how to plant a garden — watermelons and everything,” Lowe said. “I think this garden will be good to go.”
Latessa Shearin, events coordinator at Hampton Manor, said the garden was a great idea to help residents get out and get involved.
“They wanted to do it, and they’re excited — I’m excited,” Shearin said. “I love working with seniors and helping them.”
Pierce, Cox’s father, said: “The garden looks good. I was a farmer. I’ll be there with the mule ripping through Darlington.
Cox said the garden club will be held every morning, where residents will come out to tend to the garden.
“We will be here, and I will help them,” she said. “Let’s help them. Let these people get up and move on.
Cox wanted to thank Community Outreach Coordinator Kayla Taylor of Vidant North for helping bring it all together.
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