VILLAGE PEOPLE
Summerset in the Orchard retirement village residents Ted and Val are confirmation that gardening brings long-term health benefits.
Model-slim Val is a vivacious 77 year old, while 82 year old Ted would easily pass for ten years younger and still works part time as a vineyard manager. He might live in a retirement village, but he has no plans to retire just yet. The day we visited he had just come home from an early morning stint on the tractor.
Ted and Val have always been gardeners. “You can tell from the bruises on my legs that I’m a gardener!” she laughs. Previously, the couple owned a large coastal garden with everything from roses to a large vege patch and although their current garden doesn’t have vege beds, they say that may change in the near future.
Ted and Val’s garden is one of the largest in the Village. Last year they won the village’s award for the best garden and this year, they won the competition for the most colourful garden.
Val says the garden is mainly Ted’s doing, but it does keep her busy while he is at work, spending many happy hours keeping it tidy with her loyal cat following her around. “I find it very therapeutic,” she says. “And it’s wonderful how a particular perfume will spark a certain memory or thoughts of people.”
The pair enjoys the fact that their garden is a source of pleasure not only for themselves, but for the other Village residents, getting “lots of lovely comments from our neighbours”. They are clearly a source of inspiration as well. While we chat, a neighbour walks by and Ted offers friendly advice on hedge trimming.
“We are all encouraged to garden and the rule is that if you want to put in your own garden, you must look after it yourself. Although in saying that, the Village’s landscape gardener will mow the lawns and do the edges” says Ted, “but for the most part we do it all ourselves. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”