Fountain View Village in Fountain Hills launches Eldergrow Horticulture Program

By Cyrus Guccione
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Earlier this month, Fountain View Village launched its Eldergrow Horticulture Program for its Assisted Living and Memory Care residents.

A new indoor garden bed is located in the Assisted Living and Memory Care wing of Fountain View Village where residents can enjoy the scent of fresh basil, lavender, mint and other plants while getting their hands dirty planting, watering and tending to the garden.

Eldergrow is a Seattle-based therapeutic gardening program that partners with senior living communities across the country.

Debra Rowe is the local representative for Eldergrow, who will visit with residents twice a month to provide therapeutic horticulture classes.

“Horticulture therapy has been scientifically proven to improve your mood, improve your motor skills, reduce medication, improve memory and reduce risk factors for dementia by 36%,” Rowe said. “Horticulture therapy connects with all of your five senses.”

Debra Rowe will visit Fountain View Village twice a month to provide therapeutic horticulture classes. (Independent Newsmedia/Cyrus Guccione)

Integrating a farm-to-table element from the new indoor garden, Fountain View Village Dining Director Brian Ford will also use herbs in the indoor garden for cooking demonstrations.

At the launch event, Ford and his kitchen staff made lemonade and Moscow Mules with the mint from the new garden.

“The inclusion of homegrown herbs adds an exciting element of surprise to elevate the overall culinary experience for Fountain View Village residents,” said Ford.

Rowe says the mint in the garden has several health benefits for residents, including improved digestion, decreased nausea and helps soothe headaches.

“Mint also helps fight depression, helps with a cough and even fights cancer,” Rowe said.

Grounding oneself in the soil is also impactful to one’s mental health, Rowe added, who is eager to bring nature indoors to those who can benefit from its healing powers.

From left, Debra Rowe prepares a basil plant for FVV resident Willow Teagarden to plant. (Independent Newsmedia/Cyrus Guccione)

At the garden bed, a magnifying glass can be used by residents to get a closer look at the plants and record their thoughts, observations or drawings in the garden journal.

FVV Executive Director Chris Daroczy says it is important to constantly offer the best life enrichment programs for Fountain View Village residents.

“Programs such as Eldergrow contribute significantly to quality of life, social interaction, cognitive stimulation, physical health, sense of purpose and emotional well-being,” he said. “By providing diverse and personalized experiences, we aim to create a vibrant and connected community that meets residents’ evolving needs and expectations.”

For more information about Eldergrow, visit Eldergrow.org.

For more information about Fountain View Village, visit fountainviewvillageaz.com.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Cyrus Guccione can be reached at cguccione@iniusa.org.