Community Gardening Project results in a Merriman House Gardening Workstation

11/2/10

Thanks to a collaborative effort of Mountain Garden Club (MGC), Kennett High School’s (KHS) advanced building trade students in the Career and Technical Center, and Hancock Lumber, Merriman House residents now have a place where they can work on special gardening projects. The wheelchair-accessible workstation was delivered to Merriman House on September 29th, much to the delight of residents, staff and visitors.

Showing the new gardening workstation later donated to Merriman House residents are Kennett High School Career and Technical Center instructor, Jason Daggett (on the left) who worked with advanced building trades students and MGC member, DD Warren who is pictured with Jim Dunwell, who facilitated this project.

The Kennett High School students: Darrin Medeiros, Zach Cromwell, Tyler Rokowski, Alex Kidder, Tim Hill, Dustin Brett, Zachery Shackford, Jacob Thurston, Nathan Smith, Wendell Kiesman, Ben Peare, and John Colcord; worked with Jason Daggett, Building Trades instructor, under the direction of Laurie Babine—in the KHS Career and Education Department—to design and build the workbench. Instructor Jim Dunwell, also assisted in coordinating the project.

The idea for the bench grew out of last year’s major garden club project, when MGC Garden Therapy committee members: DD Warren, Virginia Kanzler and Diane Copley beautifully restored an already existing Merriman House garden that, however, needed some love and attention.

“The building design for Merriman House capitalizes on a healthy dose of natural sunlight, beautiful wooded surroundings, and the MGC garden area beautifully complements those qualities,” said Sue Ruka, vice president, Quality & Elderly Services, who oversees Merriman House.

“The building was also designed to help residents adapt to the physical changes in vision and perception that can occur with aging and dementia,” said Ethel Stafford of Merriman House’s Activities Department, who also happens to be a Mountain Garden Club member.

The MGC Garden Therapy committee will continue to maintain the garden, and will hold basic gardening demonstration classes at Merriman House this coming spring and summer.

Standing from left, Merriman House nurse Karen Alfano, Mountain Garden Club members John Bruni, DD Warren and Ralph Lutjen, Merriman House Administrative Coordinator, Raelene McLellan with resident trying out wheelchair-accessible gardening workstation donated by KHS Career and Technical Center, MGC and Hancock Lumber.

Many thanks to the Mountain Garden Club, Jason Daggett, Kennett High School and Hancock Lumber for a handsome and beautifully crafted workstation that speaks eloquently to the enduring power of having beauty in our lives!

The Mountain Garden Club, established 37 years ago, is a member of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs – District 1, and of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. – New England Region. Membership is open to all residents of the Mount Washington Valley. For more information regarding the club, its programs and activities visit www.mountaingardenclub.org.