If you haven’t been to the southeast corner of The Villages, then you probably would have missed the burgeoning garden being tended to by residents and volunteers. Nestled away, adjacent to Anchor Place, you can find all kinds of greens and veggies, such as kale and broccoli, being grown there.

Now, some what might wonder, “What’s the big deal about gardening?” Well, I’ll tell you. Not only does it enhance the bustling CVC community, but it allows for a healthy place for community members to get away from the rigors of city life. Also, gardening has been shown to be very therapeutic.

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Garden volunteers Steve and Bonnie – Long Beach residents who have been happily married for 53.5 years— have been working with us for the last couple of weeks as they continue to get to know our community.

“Oh, [gardening is] great,” Steve said. “Great for the soul.” The couple joined us for Coffee Talk at Anchor Place earlier this month and have fallen into a weekly routine of gardening every Thursday morning.

“Gardening is a lot of fun,” Bonnie added. “Things grow, and they either die or they don’t.”

Steve & Bonnie, husband and wife for more than 50 years, volunteer every week at David’s Garden.

One of the many purposes of David’s Garden is to serve our community and the people in it here at The Villages.

But don’t just take it from us. GardenTech blogger Jolene Hansen wrote that merely seeing a garden from a balcony has shown to improve mood in both depressed and non-depressed elderly participants. And actually visiting a garden and walking or sitting in one did even more. Similar studies have shown that those who care for plants have a significantly higher self-rating of health, happiness, and quality of life.

Community gardens show great promise as effective extensions of therapy for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug or alcohol dependency. You could improve self-esteem, teamwork capabilities, social interactions, planning skills, problem-solving abilities and coping skills while growing your passion for gardening and community that could continue the rest of your life.

“Oh, gardening is so nice,” US Air Force Veteran Belle said. “There’s just something about getting into the dirt.”

So, come join us! We are out here every Thursday morning from 10-11am, and we would love to grow together.