When the perennials begin to blossom in the springtime, resident Helen Ford loves taking in the view of the Soleil Laurel Canyon community garden and clubhouse from her balcony.
“It’s a gorgeous view. The garden is classically designed with pathways lined with planting beds filled with colorful flowers. There are beautiful specimen trees, a water feature and a greenhouse that looks like an English manor house,” she said.
Ford has a hand — and two green thumbs — in keeping the garden beautiful as she’s co-chair and co-founder of the Soleil Garden Club.
At monthly meetings, speakers present gardening topics and members visit local nurseries. To fund raise for its projects, the club holds an annual summer tour of the Soleil residents’ gardens.
For years Ford cultivated a grand yard at her home in Druid Hills. She landscaped the entire property, creating flower-lined pathways and even garden ‘rooms’. She completed the Georgia Master Gardener program and became friends with gardening guru Walter Reeves, who she brought to Soleil for a gardening workshop last April.
“I’ve been gardening all my life as time permitted, but I didn’t start gardening intensively until I semi-retired a couple of times. I didn’t expect to be doing a lot of gardening at Soleil but I felt the call again,” she said.
Designed for ages 55 and up, Soleil offers 14 floor plans ranging from 1,518 to 2,727 square feet with prices starting in the mid-$200,000s. Here, residents can join more than 50 social clubs and activities ranging from Friday night movies to cooking demonstrations and wine tastings.
To learn more call 678-880-3071 or visit Soleil Laurel Canyon’s website.
