Saline County Master Gardeners bring spring cheer to residents at Southern Trace Rehabilitation and Care Center
May 18, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Saline County Master Gardeners helped elder residents plant flowers
- Activity in honor of National Skilled Nursing Care Week
- Arkansas Master Gardener Program focused on education, community involvement
(766 words)
Download photos from flower planting event
BRYANT, Ark. — On a sunny May morning, Saline County Master Gardeners joined elderly residents of the Southern Trace Rehabilitation and Care Center in Bryant to plant flowers, part of the facility’s celebration of National Skilled Nursing Care Week.
“It’s a culmination of celebrating the nurses, the residents and all the staff at the facility,” said Jeanie Ralph, director of social services and community relations at Southern Trace.
National Skilled Nursing Care Week was established by the American Health Care Association in 1967 and is celebrated May 10-16 this year. This year’s theme is “Moments in Bloom.”
“These ladies from our memory care unit are the most ambulatory residents that we have, and a lot of times, with them being on the secure unit, enjoying things off site or out of their routine environment can be overwhelming,” Ralph said. “They’ve got a beautiful gazebo, a lovely place to sit and visit, so I thought it would be great for them to plant things out here.”
The Arkansas Master Gardener program is part of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Volunteers trained in horticulture provide research-based information through demonstration and educational programs statewide and maintain community beautification projects.
Seven Master Gardeners from Saline County participated in the event at Southern Trace on May 12. They took tools and bags of potting soil along with several types of flowers and greenery, including coleus, begonias, lantanas, Melampodium — a species of the daisy family — dianthus and polka dot plants.
Ralph said engaging in hands-on activities, such as prepping the containers and planting the flowers, benefits residents in many ways.
“Any time when they can make a connection with the physical component of sensory stimulation, like soil and plants, that engages them way more than just a cognitive activity,” Ralph said. “Conversation is wonderful, but when you can mix a multitude of sensory inputs, it just engages them so much more.
“Most of the residents are experiencing dementia, so short term recall is difficult,” she said. “They may not remember all the details, but they will have experienced the moment. Even if it is just for that moment, if that’s all they remember, that’s an impactful moment for them and their overall well-being.”
One resident commented, while using a trowel to dig a spot for a lantana plant, that her grandfather had planted the same flowers.
“A lot of professionals call it reminiscing therapy,” Ralph said. “They might be living 50 years in the past, but in that moment, they’re connecting with those memories from their past that brought them joy, so they get to relive it and experience that joy all over again.”
Community education, beautification
Darlene Otwell, who has been a Saline County Master Gardener for four years, said she gets great enjoyment from participating in community projects.
“Not just helping these folks at the nursing home, but all the projects we do — getting out, socializing with people and making things pretty,” Otwell said. “Flowers, vegetables, you name it, we’re working with it and teaching people about it.”
Phil McConnell, who has been a Master Gardener for more than 10 years, highlighted beautification projects at Bryant City Hall, the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Alexander Police Department and more.
“I enjoy events like this,” McConnell said. “We also maintain our beautification projects throughout the year, so we’re always planting in the spring or the fall. It keeps us busy.”
McConnell said education is the “real goal” of the Master Gardener program.
“Even for us as Master Gardeners, we’re continuing to learn, too,” he said. “And it’s important to have events to teach others.”
Donna Plummer, activity director for the memory care unit at Southern Trace, said she was happy to see the Master Gardeners’ enthusiasm for working with the residents.
“They came straight out and started talking to these folks and acted like they were buddy-buddy,” Plummer said. “I love that. It takes special people to come to a nursing home, and it touches my heart. The end of life doesn’t mean the end of your journey, and that’s what a lot of folks fail to realize.”
Plummer said working in the flowerpots and garden beds “brings their independence” back to residents.
“With Alzheimer's and dementia, which is what most of them have in this unit, working with the plants helps because it triggers their memories,” Plummer said. “It helps them remember, ‘I’m still a woman, I’m still independent,’ and that’s what it’s all about.”
Visit the Master Gardener page on the Cooperative Extension Service website to learn more about the program.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061