How to Have a Green Thumb in a Senior Living Retirement Community

Plants help clean the air, are relaxing to look at, and provide us with tasty food to eat. But how can you garden if you no longer have a backyard? Fortunately, at Normandy Living, there are several ways you can indulge your love of plants! Here’s how to have a green thumb in a senior living retirement community. 

Make an Herb Garden

One of the easiest ways to have a green thumb in a senior living retirement community is to create an herb garden on your windowsill. Simply fill a few pots with soil, choose your favorite herbs, and start planting! Water is important for the quality of your herbs, so if you have trouble remembering to water your plants, try using self-watering pots or a watering spike. 

Many herbs, like rosemary, basil, and chives, are easily grown indoors, so they’re perfect if you’re just starting out. And if you like tea, you can also try growing chamomile, lavender, mint, and sage. They make wonderful teas, are relaxing to drink, and can even help soothe your stomach. 

Add Some Houseplants

Houseplants are another great way to exercise your green thumb without even needing to leave your suite. Plus, houseplants have loads of benefits for seniors, including helping lower stress levels, improving indoor air quality, and helping you sleep. Some plants, like aloe, can even help you heal from minor cuts and burns! 

There are a variety of plants that work well as houseplants, so choose one that brings you joy. Keep in mind that some plants, like orchids, are harder to care for. So if you aren’t an experienced gardener, you might want to start off with something simpler. Succulents, spider plants, wax begonias, and snake plants are all easy to care for. 

Try Container Gardening

You may be surprised at just how many of your favorite foods can be effectively grown in containers! Potatoes, peas, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and radishes are all excellent choices. You can even grow cabbage and zucchini in containers, if you have large enough pots. Remember that you will also need a trellis for heavy or vining plants, like tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers.

Many of our suites have outdoor patio access, so they’re perfect for container gardening. But you can still try container gardening if you don’t have a patio. Just place your containers near a window, where they’ll get plenty of sun.

Take Advantage of the Courtyard

All Normandy Living residents have access to our courtyard, which includes shared space for gardening. So if you prefer to exercise your green thumb outdoors, head to the courtyard to do a little gardening. 

Whether you enjoy cultivating flowers, salad greens, or bush beans, gardening is always more fun with a friend. So gather a few of your neighbors and head to the courtyard to enjoy creating a beautiful garden together. 

Moving to senior living doesn’t mean you have to give up gardening! There are lots of ways to have a green thumb in a senior living retirement community. So pick your favorite plants or seeds, and let your green thumb get to work!