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Hoosick Falls In Full Bloom

The Hoosick Falls Health Center Hosts "The Art of Gardening Tour II"

The Hoosick Falls Health Center Auxiliary Service will host, for the second time, a garden tour that starts at the Health Center and weaves throughout the historic town of both Hoosick and Hoosick Falls. On Sunday July 10, 2011 at 11:30 a.m., the town will be in full bloom as 10 local gardens play centerpiece to a road tour guaranteed to delight both the avid gardener, as well as people looking to take a beautiful stroll through the community.

The event, a fundraiser for the Hoosick Falls Health Center Auxiliary, will start at the Health Center at 11:30 where light refreshments will be served in the beautiful, resident-manicured courtyard. Following refreshments, attendees will then be given a map of all the gardens being showcased and encouraged to stop at each garden and take in the colors of summer.

The Center, well known for its horticultural program for residents, will also showcase their impressive courtyard as one of the spots on the map. The courtyard, filled with its fountain, rose bushes, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, perennials and annuals, is meticulously manicured by Associate Occupational Therapist and Master Gardener Carol Whitelaw of the Health Center. At the Center, Whitelaw oversees the gardens and works with residents in the horticulture program. Whitelaw adds, "Residents respond positively to green plants and colorful flowers. Gardening offers relief from physical and cognitive limitations, reduces stress, gently exercises aging or arthritic joints, and stimulates memory. Caring for plants also can be inspirational to our residents. So along with maintaining these beautiful gardens, our work here also keeps our residents moving and hopefully, inspires them too."

Corbett, administrator of the Health Center, had this to add, "This is one of my favorite events of the year. These tours show that we are more than just a health center, but that we can also act as a community gathering point. I am a big believer that if you can help your surrounding community grow and congregate, then that will eventually help your business in the long run. The Tour is a continuation of our vision to set ourselves apart from other regional health centers by involving our community - our Horticultural program with residents is one of those defining specialties of the Center. Part of our mission is also to support our local community and residents; this tour does a great job of getting people out, meeting and talking with other neighbors and meeting with our residents. This fundraiser will also do a lot of good for our Auxiliary, which year in and year out takes great care of all of us at the Center."

Linda Redden, new to the garden tour, was excited to be one of the 10 asked to join. "I so much enjoyed last year's tour as a visitor. It's fantastic to be able to both support our beautiful Health Center and to experience the beauties of nature in our midst! The goal of my gardening is to have at least one type of flower in bloom at all times, from very early spring until frost. Some plants that should be near peak performance at time of garden tour will be hollyhocks, yarrow, hostas, ferns, may apples, wild day lilies and bee balm, interspersed with a variety of annual flowers and shrubs. Come stop on by!"

The Auxiliary for the Hoosick Falls Health Center was established to promote and to advance the welfare of the Hoosick Falls Health Center through fundraising and working within the community of Hoosick Falls. The present Auxiliary has also expanded this view to include staff support activities as well.

Tickets for the event are $15 each and can be purchased in advance by calling Margaret LeStage at 518-686-7949 or from any other Auxiliary member. Tickets will also be available at the Health Center the day of the Tour.

 

The Art of Gardening II   (video)

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The Hoosick Falls Health Center, established in 1914 in historic Hoosick Falls, offers long term nursing and short-term rehabilitation services to the surrounding region. The Center is well known for being the nursing home in which Grandma Moses, the great American painter, spent her final days.