Peter's Retreat Gardens in Full Bloom
June 4th, 2010
If you have had the opportunity to visit Peter's Retreat lately you will have noticed the stunning flowers and beautiful gardens surrounding the home. The gardens at Peter's Retreat are flourishing under the care and attention of two of the home's residents, Luis and David and many volunteers. Luis has worked in the garden since moving to Peter's Retreat, and it has become his personal pride and joy. David is happy to be Luis's right hand man when it comes to the garden, and the two of them work together to make the vegetable patch, roses, Japanese style reflection garden, and yards look beautiful year round.
Every year Luis plants a vegetable patch with fruits and vegetables that everyone at Peter's Retreat can enjoy. He takes suggestions and requests for what to plant from other residents and adds a touch of his native Puerto Rico to his garden, planting beans and other plants that are used in Puerto Rican cooking.
This year the garden is bursting with strawberries, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, beans, eggplant, tomatoes, and more. The chef at Peter's Retreat will sometimes use the veggies in her cooking, adding a fresh touch to her homemade dishes that everyone enjoys. Plants are provided by volunteer groups, who visit to help with yard cleanups and landscaping work, and Luis starts seedlings early in the spring in his own residence at Peter's Retreat.
The flowers on the property are also thriving under the care of Luis and David. The lush rose garden, peonies, and iris are currently blooming, adding to the country garden atmosphere. There is also a Japanese style reflection garden, where every year the residents hold a special ceremony honoring friends and relatives that have passed away from HIV/AIDS.
David hopes to start his own landscaping business someday, and his experience assisting Luis with the gardens at Peter's Retreat will no doubt come in handy. The gardens are a beautiful, peaceful place to relax and take in nature, a world away from the bustling city of Hartford.
