POULSBO — It sometimes takes a little bit of digging, a splash of water and a hearty dose of sunshine, but Martha and Mary’s horticulture program continues to grow hope for its residents.

The idea began as a pilot program seven years ago and since then, it has blossomed into one of the center’s more popular offerings, said Martha and Mary horticulture coordinator Patricia Thomas.

“They saw there was a real benefit to it, and it’s taken off from there,” Thomas said.

Martha and Mary is one of the few centers outside the Seattle metro area that offers a horticulture program, Thomas said.

Martha and Mary’s Chad Solvie said as an administrator he has been very impressed with the horticulture program and the benefits residents receive from it.

“It’s something males and females can do together, which is nice, and it really helps get people involved,” Solvie said.

Many of the center’s residents were gardeners or grew up on farms before coming to Martha and Mary and the horticulture program allows them to return to their roots, he said.

“It’s also a visual program, which is half the fun, and everyone gets the benefit of it,” Solvie said.

In the four years that she has been at the center, Thomas said she has seen firsthand the positive impact the program has on residents.

“It can really help to lift their spirits and give them hope,” she said.

The program also gives residents a living thing to care for and nurture, which helps in their decision-making abilities, she said.

“It gives them a sense of independence as well, because they get to choose what they want to plant and decide where they want it to go,” she said.

There are no limitations on which residents can participate in the program, as even those who are on bedrest can still enjoy the experience of planting seeds and watching them grow, she said.

“I go into patients’ rooms help them with one-on-one time,” Thomas said. “That alone is stimulation (for their minds).”

Residents also give back to the community as each year about 100 pounds of produce are donated to North Kitsap Fishline from the center’s vegetable garden, she said.

While the program blossoms each summer, fall and winter don’t mean the end of the program, she said.

“We have an extensive indoor plant program and we bring a lot of plants in during the fall,” Thomas said, adding that residents also help harvest seeds from dead flowers and replant geraniums into pots as well.

“By harvesting seeds in the fall, it’s not the end, it’s the beginning of another life cycle,” said Martha and Mary fund development director Rob Gelder.

The program also puts residents who have given up control of many aspects of their lives back in command, he said.

Gelder said the program has been well-received by families, whose loved ones are residents of the center.

“There’s been a lot of positive response and several families have purchased paper tiles in honor or in memory of their family members,” Gelder said.

The tiles will be placed in front of the center’s green house, which is nearing completion, he said. The first 100 tiles have already been sold and the center is working on the next batch of 50.

In addition to enhancing the quality of life at Martha and Mary, the program is also a visible demonstration of the circle of life, he said.

“It gives them a sense of ownership and is an opportunity to learn something new,” Gelder said.