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Cooperative Gardening with Assisted Living Community #923569

Asked January 13, 2026, 11:07 AM EST

I am the Activities Coordinator for Fox Den Assisted Living in Sandown, NH. I am inquiring about whether you have staff and/or volunteers at UNH that might be interested in working with our seniors with planting and education around garden maintenance. I am not sure if this is something that UNH Extension would be willing to do. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss what that could potentially entail if it is a service that the extension could provide —whether it is a one-time visit and presentation, or a monthly hour-long visit during the summer to check on our gardens, offer advice, and work with our senior citizens. I am not sure if any of that is possible, but I would welcome any suggestions about any ways to involve our seniors with active participation in planting and gardening. I completely understand if this request is not doable. Thank you in advance for your consideration and time!

Rockingham County New Hampshire

Expert Response

Hi Lisa,

We do not have resources to send Master Gardeners out in the field but I believe this could be possibly be an opportunity to get it set up as a project to help your facility.  The Master Gardener volunteers are trained to assist community groups with gardens at schools, non-profit organizations, community gardens or other gardens that provide educational opportunities for the public. If you have a project that fits this criteria we are happy to try to link you with a Master Gardener (or a team) to help you meet your goals.

We get quite a few requests for assistance and have a volunteers with a wide variety of skills and interests. To better help us meet your needs, please complete this form found at the link here: Request for Master Gardener Assistance_UNH Please email forms directly to Master Gardener Program Manager, Ruth Smith at <personal data hidden> or by mail to: UNH Extension Education Center, 329 Mast Road, Goffstown NH 03045 ATTN: Ruth Smith.

Another option you may consider is having a Master Gardener speak to the group.  These Master Gardener volunteers are trained to share their knowledge about home gardening and related topics with community groups. The programs are offered for a suggested program donation and travel fee of $100. Our current Speaker’s Bureau programs include: 

• Asian Jumping Worms 

• Birdscaping: Landscaping for the Birds 

• Climate Resilient Gardening 

• Composting 

• Container Gardening 

• Dividing Perennials Hands-on Workshop 

• Garden Strong – How to Stay Healthy as a Gardener 

• Gardening in the Shade 

• Getting the Garden Ready for Spring 

• Growing a Pollinator Garden 

• Herb Gardening 

• Invasive Plants 

• Plant Propagation 

• Putting the Garden to Bed 

• Raised Bed Gardening 

• Seed Saving 

• Seed Starting 

• Soil Testing 

• Vegetable Gardening 

• Winter Seed Sowing of Native Perennials for Your Garden 

I know this list is more extensive then you need but there are some that may be of interest to the assisted living group.  If you would like to schedule one of these programs, please provide several possible dates, the time you would like the program to begin, and which program you would like to have presented. We will then try to schedule a Master Gardener presenter. The email address you can correspond with directly regarding a presentation is: <personal data hidden>. Doris Buco is a fantastic Master Gardener volunteer!

Thank you for contacting the Infoline, a service of UNH Cooperative Extension. Replied January 13, 2026, 12:09 PM EST

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