From one man’s garden, joy blooms at Eden Prairie Senior Living

At the entrance to Eden Prairie Senior Living, Don Peterson stands by the gentle slope he transformed into a garden. Cars slow as they pull in, a driver beeps, a passerby waves, and residents offer greetings – all drawn to the bursts of color where there was once only scruffy grass and utility boxes.

Residents tell Peterson they can see the flowers from their windows, and that brings him joy. His own unit is on the far side of the building, away from the slope he has coaxed into color.

“It brings some light to people – something beautiful to look at, like what they probably had in their own yards earlier in life,” Peterson said.

Peterson, who turned 86 on Aug. 11, has lived at Eden Prairie Senior Living since 2021 with his wife, Sharon, who continues to face health challenges. The couple moved in from Plymouth, where they lived for 25 years, when maintaining a house – mowing, taxes, storm repairs – became too much.

Eden Prairie Senior Living, located off Franlo Road, offers independent and assisted living apartments along with memory care. The Petersons were drawn by the convenience of one-level living.

“It was just time to move,” Peterson said. “You start thinking about everything you’ve got to do around the yard. Sure, you can keep a house forever, but every rainstorm comes and you never know what’s going to happen. It just made sense.”

He began the garden last year in what started as a way to pass the time while Sharon was hospitalized. It has become a labor of love – and a landmark for residents and visitors alike. Where there was once only patchy grass and a pair of utility boxes, Peterson built a small, meandering flowerbed lined with hostas, wildflowers and pavers he set himself.

His son Garrett, who lives in Minneapolis, gave him hostas and a few ideas. At first, the garden looked sparse.

“When you first plant things, they don’t fill in right away,” Peterson said. “Garrett told me, ‘Dad, just wait until spring.’ And sure enough, this year everything came up. I added some wildflowers, too, and now people comment when they walk by.”

The garden is not grand, but it is personal. Peterson drags out 200 feet of hose from the end of the building or adjusts the sprinkler from the adjacent property.

“I was out this morning,” he said. “My son called and said, ‘Dad, it’s gonna be real hot today, better get out early.’ So I got out about 6:30 a.m., hooked up two hoses, and gave everything a good watering. I’ll probably come back out again tonight, around seven or eight, and do another round if it needs it.”

For him, the routine is grounding.

“It’s a breather,” Peterson said. “I used to mow my own yard, lay sod, do the landscaping. I was a carpenter for 40 years, so I’ve always liked working outside. You’ve got your own blueprint here – you can do what you want. Nobody’s pointing over your shoulder saying, ‘Move it four inches this way.’”

He also tends to another garden started years ago by a fellow resident, Elaine, helping with watering and edging after she took a fall last year. “Little by little,” he said, “we keep it looking good.”

It was Garrett who first reached out to Eden Prairie Local News about his father’s efforts. In an email, he described the garden as “amazing” and said his dad’s work would “really make him feel so good to see recognized.”

Garrett added that watching his father take such pride in the hillside project makes him proud as well. He said the garden has given his dad, who is also the full-time caregiver for his mother, a way to feel productive even on difficult days.

“To me, it means that no matter what you’re handed in life, together we can make it through everything,” Garrett said.

For Peterson, the garden is not about recognition. It’s about purpose – and about the rhythm of daily life at Eden Prairie Senior Living.

At home, much of his focus is on caring for Sharon. “She took care of us for 50 years,” Peterson said. “So I figure I can do this for her now.”

Standing on the slope as the sun hid behind some clouds and a lawnmower buzzed across the street, Peterson looked over his garden and smiled.

“It’s a great creative outlet for me,” he said. “And everybody likes it, too. They’ll say, ‘Oh boy, that’s a nice-looking place.’ And when people drive up, they see it right away and know it’s part of their community too.”