80-year-old man spends retirement caring for garden beds along Omaha street

By Greta Goede

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    SOUTH OMAHA, Nebraska (KMTV) — Robert Elkins, an 80-year-old master gardener, has spent thousands of hours planting, weeding, and caring for the garden beds along South 24th Street.

“I was retired, sitting around the house doing nothing, bored to death,” Elkins said.

The 69 garden beds are a part of The South Omaha Business Improvement District. Elkins is one of the people who keep the flowers alive.

“It’s our way of showing West Omaha is not the only area that can be pretty,” he said.

According to Emily States, who works alongside Elkins, he has put in thousands of hours planting, organizing, and making sure the flowers will survive the Nebraska weather.

“We have been working on beautifying the area, incorporating more hardy perennials that will survive the summer drought and heat. It’s much easier to keep them alive so they will come back every year,” States said.

Elkins isn’t from South Omaha, but he has spent a lot of time along 24th Street.

“It has some of the better people; they’re warm and gracious,” Elkins said.

And Elkins does all the work for free, volunteering twice each week to keep the garden beds in the best condition possible. He and other volunteers also teach local children about gardening, having them plant alongside them some mornings.

“Twenty-five, 30 years from now, when they have their own homes and families, I want them to carry these memories forward,” he said. “One of the philosophers said it’s a shame to die unless you have done something for mankind; well, this is my contribution so I can go in peace.”

Elkins will continue to care for the gardens throughout the summer.

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