Amina Grace Gardens Program
The Amina Grace Gardens at Misericordia is a horticultural program that includes an outdoor garden and an indoor vertical hydroponic garden. The hydroponics supply herbs and vegetables to 15+ gardens throughout the Misericordia campus and in the community, including the local food pantry. The program teaches residents how to grow their own food and maximizes their independence through a positive sensory environment. The program engages a growing number of residents across campus and provides some part-time paid employment opportunities. Some activities include planting, weeding, watering, and participating in educationally-based lesson plans.
The garden program is incorporated into many different areas at Misericordia beyond the life skills that participants learn and apply to their daily lives. The vegetables and herbs are harvested and used in food preparation by the residents, zucchini is used to make the popular zucchini bread in the Misericordia Hearts & Flour Bakery, and the herbs are used in the Greenhouse Inn Restaurant (basil has been used to make pesto).
Horticultural therapy techniques have positive cognitive, physical, and vocational impacts. The impact of the gardens can be seen in the resident’s homes, with their families, throughout the campus and in the surrounding community. The garden program provides many meaningful learning options and health benefits for the residents at Misericordia.
The program supports part-time jobs for some residents who work in the hydroponic garden. Some of the herbs they harvest are brought to the local food pantry. This allows the residents to explain the growing technique and build self-confidence while interacting with the community.
Vertical Hydroponic Garden
The vertical hydroponic garden is located in the Misericordia Greco Gardens greenhouse, which enables the residents to harvest fresh produce 365 days a year. This is a tremendous benefit since the growing season in Chicago averages only 187 days. The program includes planting vegetable and flower seeds into hydroponic seed trays that grow in two specialized hydroponic seed tables. Our five-star greenhouse lettuce mix has a turn-around time of five weeks from seed to harvest most of the year, and that schedule is a little slower in the winter due to less light. Other seeds take longer depending on the variety. Some vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes, are started in the seed table and then planted out into pots in the greenhouse before going outside later in the season. Benefits of a hydroponic system include higher crop yield, faster growth, less space consumption and resources, and delicious and nutritious food. Since the tasks can be broken down into incremental, repeated steps, the residents can successfully master the hydroponic growing process.
Outdoor Garden
The outdoor garden is used by residents living in the Misericordia Village Homes on campus. These residents plant, maintain, harvest, and eat the fruits and vegetables grown in the outdoor garden. They have planted pear trees, lettuce, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, basil, chives, and more. The residents keep a journal to track growth times, meal planning, and success with the plants. The outdoor garden allows the residents to learn new skills, boost their physical activity, and connect with one another.
Outdoor Garden
The outdoor garden is used by 40 residents living in the Misericordia Village Homes on campus. These residents plant, maintain, harvest and eat fruits and vegetables grown in the outdoor garden. This year, they planted and pruned pears for fruit production and planted lettuce, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, basil and chives. The residents are keeping a journal to track growth times, meal planning and success with the plants. The outdoor garden allows the residents to choose to learn new skills boosts their physical activity and connect with one another.
Hours of programming
Herbs monthly
Heads of lettuce monthly
Amina lives on in the love she and her family share with the residents of Misericordia. God’s decisions are sometimes a mystery and there are no answers, but there are answering people. We are so grateful to the Cullen Ali Family for their generous donation of the Amina Grace Gardens and Hydroponic Gardening Program through the Amina Grace Memorial Fund. This program will help the residents learn new skills, work as a team, and enjoy the many benefits of gardening for years to come. Thank you for believing in the mission of Misericordia.
Amina Grace Memorial Fund
333 Busse Hwy., #817
Park Ridge, IL 60068-3251
