Senior Planters Find Their Roots

“Everyone, be quiet! I want to know which one I got.” 

A hush fell over the roughly 30 seniors gathered on the second floor of the Q House community center as the gardeners-in-training attempted to find the flower that corresponded to the leafy sprouts in front of them.

That was the scene on Thursday afternoon at ConnCORP’s inaugural collaborative event with the senior center at 197 Dixwell Ave.: an hour-long native flower potting tutorial led by Connecticut Placemaking Engagement Network (CPEN) founder and CEO Doreen Abubakar.

The event was intended to teach the neighborhood’s seniors about the importance of native Connecticut flowers, as well as give them the opportunity to garden with friends. It was spearheaded by Carlota Clark of the Newhallville Community Management Team’s seniors committee, who said that attendees potted over 30 plants.

“Native plants are so important to the environment, because without them, so many birds and insects — especially butterflies — would lack shelter and food,” Abubakar said.

A previous iteration of the Q House had served as a cornerstone of the Dixwell/Newhallville community from 1924 to 2003; a newly constructed Q House opened in November 2021. The new senior center, one of several social services based out of the Dixwell Avenue building, hosts a variety of weekly events, from talent shows to bingo nights.

Once ConnCorp’s Community Liaison Daniel Hunt and VP of Culture and Community Relations Elaine Roper had handed out blue latex gloves to everyone in attendance on Thursday, the seniors began to wave their hands in eager anticipation.

Abubakar walked the group through the steps, instructing them to pack the base of the pot with soil before separating the roots of their sprouts. Once the plant had been placed in the pot, the seniors could begin watering.

Hunt and Roper quickly began shuttling styrofoam cups of water from an orange Home Depot water cooler to each table, while Abubakar helped the group perfect their watering technique. ​“You want to make sure you don’t pour the water too quickly, otherwise the soil won’t be able to absorb it all in time.”

“Is it special water?” one senior asked. ​“It’s Connecticut water, of course!” Abubakar chuckled.

The seniors were fascinated by this magical feat of nature, ooh-ing and ah-ing in unison as they tried their own hand at watering their plants. Many participants were still confronted by leakage, but their quick thinking helped them come up with an innovative solution: put the pot inside the glove to prevent excess water from dripping on the tables.

One participant simply sped over to the sink, saying, ​“Watch out! Plant emergency coming through!”

As he surveyed the crowd’s pure enthusiasm for the planting, Hunt reflected on why he joined ConnCorp in the first place. ​“It’s all about forming a community. I want to be a light for others, and to inspire our city’s youth to give back.”

Hunt and Roper were instrumental to the coordination of the event, which was a product of a collaboration between ConnCorp and the Q House that was launched into development last April. Hunt said he hopes that this event is the first of a longstanding partnership.

Once everyone’s plants were well-watered, Abubakar reviewed how to care for the souvenirs. She explained that native plants relied on the region’s seasons for maintenance, and therefore did not require additional watering or pruning after two months of indoor care.

Furthermore, the flowers’ nectar attracts butterflies, a fact that was received by the seniors with more awestruck excitement. ​“They’re called pollinator plants,” Abubakar elaborated.

“Collinator plants?” asked one participant.

Hooked by this new information, the seniors were quick to answer. ​“No, it’s a pollinator plant!”

The event inspired veteran senior center attendee Jeanette Reynos, a volunteer within the city’s school system, to find a way to implement what she had learned about the flowers into local schools. ​“I was thinking that we could donate these plants to one of the schools to start a butterfly garden for the kids. Not only is it important for the environment, but also for the kids to see,” she said with a smile.

Reynos has been attending local senior events for the past thirteen years, making the most of her eligibility to join the senior community when she turned 55. Over the years, she has been an avid attendee of bingo games, talent shows, and movie nights.

Sarah McClain, one of the event’s most enthusiastic participants, was eager to share her thoughts about her first event at the Q House. ​“I’ve never been much of a gardener, but my neighbor planted these lovely flowers that made our side of my apartment building absolutely beautiful. After this, I think I might start helping him!”

McClain grabbed her plant, a prototype of the blue glove draining system, and proudly held it up for a picture. ​“You know, they made fun of how little my plant is, but I do not care. It’s perfect.”

Abubakar closed the tutorial with a preview of events to come, including a potential field trip to the grand opening of a new pavilion at CPEN’s flower nurseries. ​“If you like what you see and you have the space for it, CPEN will delegate a few of the boys from our high school program to install a butterfly garden at your home,” she offered. The seniors ooh-ed and ahh-ed at that prospect with delight.

Led by Hunt and Roper, the group busted out the ​“Cupid Shuffle” as the event came to close. Many of the seniors were decked out in matching outfits, from a glittery quintet of monogrammed Golden Girls T‑shirts to a duo of ​“Senior Power” jackets, but everyone wore the same smile.

Watching from the sidelines, Abukubar said, ​“This is how we make change: little by little.”