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 program teaches residents how to grow their own food and maximizes their independence through a positive sensory environment. At the start, the program will engage over 85 residents from across campus. Participants of varying cognitive and physical abilities are challenged to learn about different plants and flowers. Some activities include planting, weeding, watering and participating in educationally based lesson plans.

Vertical Hydroponic Garden

The vertical hydroponic garden is located in the current 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 187 days. The program includes planting seedlings in the pods of the grow table and after 2-4 weeks moving them to the vertical towers. After 2-3 weeks of growing in this hydroponic system the plants are ready to be harvested. Benefits of a hydroponic system are higher crop yield, faster growth, less space consumption and resources and delicious and nutritious food. Since the tasks can be broken down into incremental step which are repeated, the residents can successfully master the hydroponic growing process.

 

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.

 

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.

Sister Rosemary Connelly, RSM

Executive Director

Mary comes to Misericordia for Adult Enrichment programing during the week. She attends the Greco Gardens on Wednesday mornings and has always been willing to help with nature inspired crafts and watering but did not love working with the actual soil! Once the Amina Grace hydroponics were installed in the greenhouse, Mary began to show an interest in hands on work; planting seeds in the soil-free plugs. As they grew into plants, she helped to put them into our hydroponic zip towers. Last week we took our vegetable towers to another program and Mary was excited to show her friends how to harvest vegetables. Mary said that she “likes to grow food and can’t wait to make recipes with it.” The hydroponic zip towers allow Mary to work in environment that she enjoys and furthers her interest in gardening.

Rochelle is part of the Village garden club that helps to take care of our new Amina Grace vegetable and perennial gardens. Rochelle has always liked being outside but has had little personal responsibility in caring for a garden or growing food that can be cooked for her dinner! This past summer she worked with instructor, Bobby Davis, Jr., to learn the correct way to plant, water and care for vegetables and flowers. Rochelle is very diligent about caring for things in the right way and has taken on daily responsibilities to keep the garden healthy and beautiful. Soon Rochelle will graduate from the summer program and, with her instructor’s help, will become a mentor to her peers as they start the Amina Grace Fall program.

Amina Grace Memorial Fund

333 Busse Hwy., #817

Park Ridge, IL 60068-3251

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