My story is about how we tried to find a project to encourage some of the farmer residents to participate in an activity that was appealing to them.
This initially started with a resident named Mr. B. He is not one to participate in much. Mr. B. was a farmer, agriculture was a big part of his life. He was asked to help us improve our courtyards by planting flowers. He became very interested and was able to inspire others to join him outside.
We took a bus trip to Lowe’s and Home Depot for the residents to pick out flowers and plants. As the residents began to plant, they voiced that we needed more plants and planters. At this point the Covid-19 restrictions were in place. Sadly, we were no longer able take our residents to the store, but we did sit with them and discuss what plants and types of planters they wanted. Then our Marketing Director called around and asked for donations. The response was amazing! We now had more than we needed to beautify our courtyards.
Upon returning to Windsong, the residents chose what flowers went where and how many went in each area. I helped Mr. B. and Mr. G. shovel rock ground cover out of the main planter in the courtyard. Once the rock was cleared out, they began planting. It was so much fun to watch them help each other dig a hole for each plant in the soil and press it down. A few times, one of the ladies asked if I could hop up on top of the planter and plant her choice of flowers in the center. She gave me specific directions; where to put it, how to make the hole, how to cover the roots, and how to firmly pack the soil around the plant. I personally know how to plant, its one of my hobbies. However, for Mrs. B to give me the directions on how to plant the flowers properly was very exciting. She knew the exact way to plant the flowers from memory.
After planting in the center for Mrs. B., we all decided to take a water break. As we were sitting enjoying some cold water, Mr. B. began to say that we still needed to plant the tomato plants, but he was burned out from moving rock. I asked if I could help in any way. Mr. B then asked me to plant them and he told me exactly how to do it.
Mr. B then walked me through each step; starting with how much soil to put in the planter, how deep the holes needed to be for the tomato plants and peppers, how to loosen the roots on plants, how to firmly pack down the soil around the bottom of the plants, and then how much and where to pour the water to ensure the soil settles. The fact that he could tell me this information in steps amazed me. Even though he was tired, he told me that I did a great job following his directions.
Montessori Inspired Lifestyle is a real thing and it really works. By being part of this community and watching our residents participate in this lifestyle is truly mesmerizing.