A Celebration of Gardening and the Gift that Made it Possible

Dr. Mohammad Mazaheri has dedicated his life to helping others both in the United States and in Iran, where he was born. He is widely celebrated for his medical acumen in the area of dental and maxillofacial prosthetics.

Dr. Mo, as he is known, went to medical school at the University of Tehran. He first came to the United States because he was sent here by the Shah of Iran in 1949 to finish his education at the University of Pennsylvania. His medical journey brought him to Lancaster County, where he became a physician at Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic.

Although he is famous for his contributions to the medical world, most people do not know that Dr. Mo has a special affinity for gardening.

“When I lived in Iran, my family had two houses, one on a farm. When I moved to the United States, I had a property where I planted a huge garden. Lancaster County provided a quiet life for my children, and I devoted my life to the clinic and to the community,” Dr. Mo shared.

However busy, Dr. Mo would take the time to garden when he was home. Unfortunately, after experiencing some health challenges, Dr. Mo and his family decided he should move to Landis Homes in March 2022.

“He has a window to the courtyard, but he misses his gardens. He really enjoyed tending to them at his last residence,” Melinda, one of his daughters, said. “Then, one day, I saw a photo on the internet of raised garden boxes at a nursing home, and I wondered if Landis Homes could do that. Residents with walkers and wheelchairs could still reach the gardens and tend to the plants.”

So, after conversations with several Landis Homes administrators, Dr. Mo and his family decided to make a generous gift to provide nine raised garden boxes for residents throughout the east campus along with the tools so that residents in healthcare and personal care can enjoy them. Some of the raised garden beds are on wheels and some are wheelchair accessible. The family’s gift was generous enough to also provide a chicken barbecue meal with residents to celebrate the planting.

In the summer of 2023, the raised garden beds were installed and Dr. Mo and two of his three children, Renee and Melinda, shared laughter as they dug in the dirt along with other residents. A chicken barbecue meal was also held in the Dogwood Courtyard where the raised garden beds flourished with new growth. “We really just wanted to give residents the chance to garden, regardless of whether they were in a wheelchair or used a walker. Our Dad also always loved a good BBQ as well. We are lucky that we have found such a caring community for our father. We appreciate it every day and are happy to give back in any way we can,” Melinda shared.