Cove Garden at The Hearthstone was officially commemorated on June 28^th  in a ceremony attended by residents, staff members and members of the Board of Directors. A true labor of love and cooperation by and for our residents, stakeholders worked together for months to bring this charming urban oasis to life. Complete with shared planters, a labyrinth and lush grass, Cove Garden will be a gathering space for residents, families and loved ones to enjoy for years to come.

In March of 2022, with the winter rains subsiding—or so we thought—two 80 years young men moved a total of 3.25 tons of cement blocks and started work on retaining walls, providing the project’s valuable infrastructure.

Soon a whole crew—average age 77.8—was hard at work on the retaining walls, tilling compacted soil and gravel, moving more than 30 cubic yards of sand, gravel, topsoil and mulch by wheelbarrow while building custom stairs and hand rails, barrel stave panels, a labyrinth, recycling old wooden garden boxes and making planters atop the barrel stave panels, constructing a compost bin and potting table from recycled palettes and laying sod and pavers. Nine planter boxes requiring 1500 nuts and bolts for assembly were placed on the upper terrace. Outside of those containers, the Garden’s plantings were meticulously chosen by a select committee that included one master gardener and two foresters.

Invaluable assistance on the project was also provided by residents, friends, staff members, the CEO and members of the board of directors.

Once work began in earnest, nothing interrupted the project’s progress except the daily trip by the children from Little Explorers School, who trekked down the neighboring alley from their school to Green Lake, reinforcing an important reminder that time spent outside and child-like enthusiasm are so good for the soul.