Forsyth County opens Live Well Garden at Sexton Hall

Forsyth County opened the Live Well Garden at Sexton Hall Community Center with a dedication ceremony and tree planting at 2115 Chloe Road off Sharon Road, adding a public garden to one of the county’s main life-enrichment sites for adults 50 and better. The project brought together the County Extension Service, Forsyth County Master Gardeners, Forsyth County Master Naturalists, the Boy Scouts of America, the Thanks Mom & Dad Foundation and local businesses.

Senior Services Director Ruthie Brew said the garden expands recreation and relaxation space for people who use Sexton Hall and for the wider community. County materials said the Live Well Garden extends Senior Services’ aging-well theme, and a garden club was formed with an invitation for people of all ages to take part in the garden and the outdoor space around the center.

The project fits into a longer effort to expand what Sexton Hall can do for older residents in south Forsyth. The county reopened the enrichment center on May 5, 2017, after SPLOST VI-funded renovations that added an art wing, a new kitchen, updated entry, additional bathrooms and space for an outdoor garden. Those changes set up the site to serve not just as a gathering place, but as a campus for classes, volunteer work and activities tied to healthy aging.

Forsyth County Senior Services says its mission includes reducing isolation, improving nutritional health and supporting community education for older adults, caregivers and families. The Live Well Garden gives those goals a visible place at Sexton Hall, where residents can mix indoor programming with outdoor activity and hands-on learning.

UGA Extension says Forsyth County has active volunteer programs for Forsyth County Master Gardeners and Forsyth County Master Naturalists, and Master Gardener volunteers share consumer horticulture programming on ornamental plants, recreation and home food production. That makes the garden both a community amenity and a practical teaching space, linking aging, wellness and food access in one corner of the county.