A Patch Work of Color at Linden Ponds Gardens

Hingham, MA -- Where can you find a garden that covers close to an acre, bursting with flowers, fruit, vegetables and even, fittingly for a spread built on an old quarry, a rock garden that climbs a hill? At the gardens at the Linden Ponds Retirement Community in Hingham, MA.

“There’s a secret to this Hingham spot,” said Gina Herron, Linden Ponds resident. “It’s not the garden itself, it’s the gardeners. This dedicated group ranges from their 60’s to well into their 80’s. And they work in sun and sometimes in rain to raise crops not just for themselves, but for the benefit of young scholars working here at Linden Ponds.”

The Linden Ponds gardens are a patchwork of mini-gardens, each about 9 feet square. Every design is intensely personal, based on the resident who owns the garden. In one, a tiny walkway of stones leads to a charming birdhouse; another presents neat rows of corn; in others, flowering vines climb exuberantly over a trellis. One of the oldest patches is covered by raspberry bushes, and others offer a gala mix of flowers and vegetables thriving together.

“A summer highlight at Linden Ponds is the annual Garden Promenade,” said Herron. “This is an event that brings together residents and visitors strolling through the paths, enjoying plantings, listening to a concert by Linden Ponds musicians and singers, wearing flowery hats, and sipping lemonade. It’s a wonderful event every year.”

And for those that don’t garden, there’s a chance to share the bounty. From late July into September, the Linden Ponds Gardeners present a Friday Farmer’s Market on an outdoor patio at the Oakleaf Clubhouse located at Linden Ponds. Fruit, flowers, and vegetables, picked only that morning, are on sale. Residents line up to shop, and the proceeds go to the Linden Ponds Student Scholarship Fund, which benefits the students who work at Linden Ponds.

“You will always find the cheerful presence of gardeners at Linden Ponds digging, planning, weeding, and harvesting in a spot where “80 in the sun” just means it’s time to water,” said Herron.