A Growing ‘Gathering of Gardeners’ Shows Off Outdoor Spaces
“A Gathering of Gardeners” is the name of the garden club made up of residents from St. John’s Meadows and Brickstone by St. John’s. According to member and St. John’s Meadows Cottage Resident Bonnie Stalzer, the group gets together throughout the year to share information about their gardens and to gain insights and ideas from their fellow members. “There are all levels of gardens and all levels of gardeners,” Stalzer says, making for an inclusive experience for participating members.
Over the summer months, the group’s monthly meetings have been replaced by Open House events across the St. John’s campus. The August event featured a Cottage Garden Tour, highlighting the diverse outdoor spaces that over a dozen residents living in the St. John’s Meadows Cottages were proud to show off.
“I have sun in my garden,” said Barb Valek, another participant whose garden was on display. “Other people have shade. So, we really do have a variety of different types of gardens.” 
The tour showcased the variety of gardens located across the independent living community. Multiple residents explained how they transplanted meaningful plants and flowers to their current gardens from previous homes and farms. One resident who just moved to St. John’s admitted that even though she is in the early stages of cultivating her new garden, she participated in the open house so she could receive feedback from her neighbors and learn more about the successes and challenges others have faced.