{"id":26654,"date":"2025-11-03T12:01:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T12:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/26654\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T12:01:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T12:01:24","slug":"staten-islands-hidden-garden-a-seniors-labor-of-love-brightens-canterbury-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/26654\/","title":{"rendered":"Staten Island\u2019s hidden garden: A senior\u2019s labor of love brightens Canterbury House"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The grounds around the Canterbury House<\/a> in Rosebank are much greener thanks to resident Bill O\u2019Connor, who has spent the year weeding, mulching and planting.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor\u2019s lifelong passion for gardening blossomed as a child growing up in the South Bronx where he nurtured the only green thing in a junkyard \u2014 a sumac weed. <\/p>\n

For O\u2019Connor, gardening now serves as a form of therapy, helping him manage the health challenges that come along with living a long life.<\/p>\n

\"CanterburyBill O\u2019Connor is the resident gardener at the Canterbury House in Rosebank. He and his wife Terry have lived here since they were flooded out in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.(Advance\/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

It all began in 2012 when O\u2019Connor moved into the Canterbury House, an income-restricted senior housing facility operated by St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church, after Hurricane Sandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really lucked out with the garden because I missed my garden, so I asked the priest of St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church at the time if I could start one,\u201d the 84-year-old said. \u201cHe said, \u2018Bill, you can do it, but you\u2019ve got to make it look nice because this is the first thing you see when you come up to the building.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

By 2014, he single-handedly transformed a barren patch of rocks into the vibrant garden it is today.<\/p>\n

\"CanterburyBill O\u2019Connor is the resident gardener at the Canterbury House in Rosebank. He and his wife Terry have lived here since they were flooded out in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.(Advance\/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

The garden is a personal project for O\u2019Connor. He pays for all expenses out of his own pocket and through special occasion gift cards given to him by his family. He purchases dirt, fertilizer and other supplies from stores like Home Depot. <\/p>\n

The garden features a dynamic mix of perennials and annuals that changes yearly, including favorites like basil, dahlias, mums and canna lilies that O\u2019Connor successfully keeps alive through New York City\u2019s harsh winters.<\/p>\n

\"CanterburyBill O\u2019Connor is the resident gardener at the Canterbury House in Rosebank. He and his wife Terry have lived here since they were flooded out in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.(Advance\/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

His wife, Terry, sees gardening as his passion. <\/p>\n

\u201cGardening is his first love and it\u2019s good for him,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you do what you like it does not feel like work. He\u2019s out here in all kinds of weather.\u201d<\/p>\n

The garden has become a cornerstone for the Canterbury House\u2019s residents, providing them with a peaceful, beautiful space to relax, socialize, and feel more at home.<\/p>\n

\"CanterburyBill O’Connor is the resident gardener at the Canterbury House in Rosebank. Here he stands with Father Hank Tuell in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church which runs the senior living apartments.(Advance\/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe garden makes the grounds beautiful and creates a space for residents to sit during the summer,\u201d said Rev. Father Hank O. Tuell IV, the rector of St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church.<\/a> \u201cThis is their hangout area, and we are glad that he gives the garden his time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In sharing his story, O\u2019Connor hopes it will inspire other seniors to begin gardening because he believes gardening is more effective than medication.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, you\u2019ve got to read, then speak to somebody at the garden store or a friend. It\u2019s kept me healthy. My knees are achy, but I don\u2019t feel it when I\u2019m tending the garden,\u201d explained O\u2019Connor. \u201cIsn\u2019t that amazing? That\u2019s why I know it\u2019s therapy. This is better than the medication doctors prescribe. The positive endorphins gardening produces are good for you \u2014 it\u2019s working for me anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CanterburyBill O’Connor is the resident gardener at the Canterbury House in Rosebank. He and his wife Terry have lived here since they were flooded out in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy. Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

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