BUG Gardeners: Geri & The Whispering Winds Gardeners
Talitha, the Social Director at Whispering Winds Retirement Community on the eastside of Bend, knew very little about growing plants back in the spring of 2021, but was determined to revitalize the existing on-site garden to create a place for outdoor socializing and activities.
In previous seasons, the garden, three long concrete raised beds and almost a dozen elevated planter boxes, had been a source of fresh ingredients for the chefs in the kitchen of the site’s dining services. Just a few committed residents cared for the plants. The soil hadn’t been amended for years and many beds went unused.
After a field trip to the Bend Urban Gardens Demonstration Garden at the end of May to shop for plant starts, bi-monthly garden club meetings commenced. Experienced resident gardeners shared their wisdom with new gardeners. Bend Urban Gardens offered guidance in plant spacing, frost and heat protection, pest and disease issues, and brought fun garden activities to help residents interact while also caring for their vegetables and flowers.
By August, even residents who hadn’t participated in garden club meet-ups found the garden to be a great sanctuary for other outdoor social gatherings.
Geri
On each garden club morning, Geri greeted everyone with her warm smile and bounced around the garden, giving thanks for the wonders of plants while pointing out the exciting changes that had occurred since our last visit. She frequently whipped up delicious meals and snacks to share with her friends, including rhubarb cookies and chard and sausage.
Geri grew up on a farm in Wisconsin with nine siblings and a large garden. Her parents grew green beans for contract, which were picked by Geri, her mom, and two older brothers. The beans were bagged and her dad took them to a factory to be sold. The money was used to purchase school clothes in the fall. Her family canned vegetables in 2 quart jars for their large family as well as picked wild berries to store for winter. Even after a lifetime of gardening, Geri still maintains a joyful, adventurous spirit (she went skydiving on her 87th birthday!) and openness to learning new things, from dissecting lima bean seeds to using new items in case of frost, like walls of water and row cover.
This season, Geri routinely encouraged fellow gardeners to sample the snap peas growing in her garden bed, which kept producing all season long, even in the summer heat, into October. However, she shared, “The best part was eating kohlrabi and chard for the first time! I ate the kohlrabi raw like an apple! And growing a bush cucumber, which was very prolific and delicious. 😋 Gardening was my exercise. I looked forward to seeing the things growing and being able to share with friends and family members.”
She told Ashley, “The thing I have been most happy about gardening this year at Whispering Winds is having you encouraging us. I looked forward to seeing you and hearing how to do things better.”
During our visits, I was consistently showered with generosity and intrigued by the curiosity of the Whispering Winds Gardeners. Their growth mindset to keep on learning and problem solving made our meet-ups a highlight of the Bend Urban Gardens 2021 gardening season! I’m looking forward to gardening together again next season!
