STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The grounds around the Canterbury House in Rosebank are much greener thanks to resident Bill O’Connor, who has spent the year weeding, mulching and planting.

O’Connor’s lifelong passion for gardening blossomed as a child growing up in the South Bronx where he nurtured the only green thing in a junkyard — a sumac weed.

For O’Connor, gardening now serves as a form of therapy, helping him manage the health challenges that come along with living a long life.

It all began in 2012 when O’Connor moved into the Canterbury House, an income-restricted senior housing facility operated by St. John’s Episcopal Church, after Hurricane Sandy.

“I really lucked out with the garden because I missed my garden, so I asked the priest of St. John’s Episcopal Church at the time if I c

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