Green thumbs abound at Mill Pond

Mill Pond residents Mary Lou Dudley, Obie Goldsberry and Daisy Buttery give Resident Services Assistant Director Jami Wythe, volunteer Dennis Harney and Resident Services Director Jayne Harwood instructions on planting tomatoes. The group is part of the garden club, which is building a beautiful garden in one of the courtyards at Mill Pond.

A peek into one of the courtyards at Mill Pond Health Campus in Greencastle shows how many green thumbs have been at work in the garden.

A group of several residents, with guidance from volunteer Dennis Harney, are happy to show off their blossoming plants.

The group planted cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and green onions more than a month ago and have glorious green plants thriving in one of the many boxes in their courtyard garden.

They have put in a fountain and added statuary, and will add more flowers this weekend. They have included butterfly and hummingbird plants along with bushes to attract yellow finches.

Daisy Buttery has even found a friend among the hummingbirds. One of the little fellows follows her all around the courtyard when she is in it.

"It even tried to come inside with me one day," she said. "It hit the window in the door and knocked itself out. Two teachers were visiting that day and we waited with him for half an hour to wake up.

"He won't let any other hummingbirds in the courtyard when I am out there," she laughed.

The garden project has a bonus attached to it as well.

The Mill Pond campuses are competing in a contest for the most beautiful garden.

The winner will receive a cash prize.

"When we win," says Harwood, "we'll buy a swing and some other items for the garden. It's not a question of if we win, we know our green thumbs will win it for us," she said.