Local seniors rejoice the chance to play in the dirt with newly upgraded garden spaces

WASILLA — Summer is in full swing and Wasilla Area Senior residents are happily attending to community gardens across the campus. Seniors can start growing their prized plants earlier and attend to their daily routines with greater ease thanks to a recent grant from the state.

“It isn’t just the growth of the plants it’s everyone growing together,” WASI Assistant Executive Director Marlene Munsell said.

Both the Wasilla and Houston campuses underwent upgrades that included raised garden beds and new greenhouses thanks to a grant from the State of Alaska COVID Cares Act for Older Adults and additional support from volunteers and community partners like Walmart and Aurora Gardens, according to Munsell. She said the recent project reflects WASI’s mission to support seniors to live as independently as possible for as long as possible.

“It offers a reason to get outdoors, and challenges to solve, and reasons to rejoice. Outdoor areas and green spaces like gardens facilitate social interactions through providing a meeting place and the opportunity for interaction, thereby cultivating engagement, and giving an enhanced sense of belonging. When done as a community venture, it has the potential for bringing together people who might otherwise be isolated,” Munsell said.

Seniors quickly got to work utilizing the renovated garden areas over the last couple of weeks.

WASI resident, Bev Warble said the greenhouses are an exciting addition to their overall experience.

“It gave us a chance to start early and get out and play in the dirt,” Warble said.

There are numerous garden areas across the Wasilla campus. WASI resident, Wendy Mack said that several seniors usually go out at a time, making a social occasion out of it and helping each other out with their gardening. She said it’s a great way to get people out of their apartments.

“It was such a good time together,” Mack said.

Munsell said the social connection that comes from this popular pastime is invaluable and one of the most moving motivating milestones she’s ever witnessed.

“This project is really bringing people together,” Munsell said. “It’s all worth it.”

John Moore and Pamela Peterson attended to their plants inside one of the new greenhouses Wednesday afternoon. Both shared a lifetime of gardening experience and overall adoration for the down to earth hobby.

Moore pointed to a row of catnip saying those were his pride and joy.

“... And our cat loves it,” he said with a laugh.

Prior to the upgrade, dedicated seniors were seen laying on the ground to dig up, plant, pull weeds, and harvest from garden beds to avoid the physical stress of crouching down.

“By the time it got to winter you couldn’t hardly move... Now everything is so much easier,”

Peterson said that she’s lived at the Wasilla campus for about five years and she’s been gardening there since she arrived. She said that she quilts during the winter, longing to return to the garden. She said the raised garden beds were a total game-changer.

“I love it,” Peterson said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiesman.com