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Open House Celebrates Launch of Eldergrow Indoor Gardening Initiative
WESTMINSTER, Md. (Feb. 1, 2023) – The Terraces at Westminster has found a new way to connect its residents to nature, and members of the public are invited to an open house launch party. The assisted living community will unveil an innovative indoor gardening program – Eldergrow’s D-I-Y Culinary Herb Garden – at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Eldergrow, an award-winning Seattle-based company, offers therapeutic gardening programs to seniors in residential and skilled nursing communities. Through this new partnership, The Terraces at Westminster residents will be able to nurture a lush and fragrant indoor herb garden.
The launch celebration will include a short presentation on horticultural therapy, which is shown to offer significant mental and physical health benefits for seniors, including reducing depression and improving balance, among numerous others. In a study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Health, scientists reported planting and cultivating a garden can “improve brain nerve growth factors related to memory, and can improve functioning in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory, and cortical regions of the brain.”
Laura Holden, executive director of The Terraces at Westminster, said Eldergrow perfectly complements her team’s efforts to connect residents with their lifelong passions. “Gardening is a favorite hobby of many residents here and throughout the local community,” Holden said. “Westminster is a farming community with its own farm museum. Many of our residents grew up farming.”
The Feb. 8 celebration will also include light refreshments and opportunities to tour The Terraces at Westminster, located at 45 Washington Road. Guests will also have the opportunity to help design the community’s new indoor culinary garden. For more information or to RSVP, please call Laura Holden at 410-751-2300 or email lholden@westminsterterraces.com.
As part of the Eldergrow program, The Terraces at Westminster will receive new herb plants monthly along with a curriculum to spur educational opportunities. Each month, the community will come together for a happy hour event featuring a beverage and snack made with the herb of the month. Holden said each week one resident will be chosen to take the lead on caring for the indoor garden, adding “we are so grateful that our residents will be able to safely interact with nature throughout their day. Eldergrow and our incredible staff will be making that possible.”
“We are excited to start our new partnership with the Terraces at Westminster,” said Eldergrow’s CEO and founder Orla Concannon. “This is easily a reflection of the innovative wellness the community provides to their residents, because if you have a healthy garden, you know you have a healthy community!”
At The Terraces at Westminster, residents enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle with everything they need on campus. With beautifully appointed apartments, gourmet dining and an engaging mix of programming and activities, residents have access to the services they need, when they need them. Experience this charming community by scheduling a visit and tour. Call 410-751-2300 or visit westminsterterraces.com for more information.
Eldergrow brings nature indoors to elders living in senior living through therapeutic gardening programs. Founded in 2015, Eldergrow offers innovative indoor programs and activity kits. The DIY Culinary Herb Garden is designed for assisted and independent living settings and is complemented by an ‘Around-the-World’ Herb of the Month program. Eldergrow’s Therapeutic Horticulture Garden program is a hands-on wellness program facilitated by in-person Educators who teach therapeutic gardening classes and provide garden maintenance for memory and skilled care settings. Each of the programs are centered around indoor, mobile gardens which are handcrafted in Washington by veterans and adults living with disabilities. For more information, visit eldergrow.org.
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About The Terraces at Westminster
45 Washington Road, Westminster, Md. 21157
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Media Contacts:
Sandy Crisafulli/David Wilderotter
Caryl Communications
201-796-7788
sandy@caryl.com / david@caryl.com