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Senior Center greenhouse, garden programs earn recognition

Posing for a photo at the Worcester County Horticultural Society’s annual meeting on June 25 are (from left) WCHS board president Gayle Weiss, Hopkinton Senior Center volunteer Therese Collins, Senior Center assistant director Jessica Fitch and New England Botanic Garden CEO Grace Elton. PHOTO/TROY THOMSPON

The Hopkinton Senior Center recently received recognition for its community gardening programs from the Worcester County Horticultural Society.

At the annual meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society (WCHS) on June 25, the Senior Center was recognized with a Community Greening Award. According to assistant director Jessica Fitch, the Senior Center earned the award for its gardens and greenhouse, along with the volunteer program that helps keep both running.

Fitch explained that the center has a gardening club that, beginning every year in January, will plant over 1,500 plants in the greenhouse. The majority of those get sold during the Friends of Hopkinton Seniors’ annual plant sale, but the remaining plants get put into one of three main gardens on the grounds. One is a dedicated tomato garden, another is set aside for herbs and the third is for all other vegetables.

Garden club members not only tend the plants from seed but also take care of all the tilling, harvesting and preparing the garden beds for the winter. Food harvested from the gardens helps supplement the Senior Center’s lunch program.

“Whatever we can’t use in our kitchen, we put out and allow seniors to take home for free so they can have fresh, nutritious produce as well,” Fitch added.

The assistant director said that while the Senior Center is grateful for the recognition, she views the award more as a testament to the dedication of the garden club members.

“From start to finish, this is really a volunteer project,” she said, adding that Senior Center staff have little involvement with operating the greenhouse and maintaining the garden beds.

Added Fitch: “[The volunteers] do all of those … less glamorous tasks associated with a garden, and they’ve done it without asking for any recognition. I’m really happy for them.”

In addition to receiving the Community Greening Award, the Senior Center also was given a commendation from Rep. James Arena-DeRosa in recognition of the award.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

Subdrain work on Main Street will continue through next week as crews address a drainage issue.

MassDOT will close ramps at the I-90/I-495 interchange Wednesday night for ongoing construction.

Nancy Ring, 83, died July 16. She was born in Hopkinton and worked for the Hopkinton Public Library.

Town meetings tonight include the Commissioners of Trust Funds (5), Affordable Housing Trust Fund (6), Board of Health (6) and Planning Board (7).

Photo of the Day

The Hopkinton 11U Tondorf summer baseball team successfully defended its Tondorf Tournament championship, posting a 12-1 record and defeating Framingham, 7–4, in the title game. The team also enjoyed a strong run in the District 11 Tournament, going 4-0 in pool play before falling in a hard-fought championship game to Norwood, 4–3.