Article: 10-by-20: Seniors' gardening heaven; They plant lettuce, hoe and reap the joys of sore muscles, hoped-for veggies and friendship in new garden plots at Willow Valley retirement complex.

Bill Shearman thought he wanted to be a farmer.

So one spring, the teenager tilled his parents' Rockville, Md., yard.

He planted and watered and weeded and eventually plucked and partook of the fruits of his labor.

Except for one vegetable.

"My whole row of lima beans - someone stole 'em," Shearman said.

That was 60 years ago, the last time Shearman planted a garden, until this week.

The 75-year-old and 25 of his fellow Spring Run at Willow Valley residents on Tuesday began hoeing and planting individual garden plots provided for them by the retirement complex.

The golden-aged gardeners say they gain more than the fresh produce they'll harvest later in the summer.

They get outdoors and ...

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