GARDENS FOR SENIORS

By Wanda Young, Home Economist

My senior garden friend was so excited when the first seed catalogue of the season arrived because she could start planning.

My fiend and her husband have both retired. They have a large vegetable garden from which they share produce with their neighbors and friends who have moved into apartments and multiple housing units. Bright flowerbeds cluster around the house. Inside, houseplants add freshness to the environment, There is a patio raised above the level of the flowerbeds. A small arboretum of pines and deciduous trees shelters the back of the lot. All this is maintained from their greenhouse. Let us hope it continues for many happy years.

FUTURE SCENARIOS

My friends are aging and losing energy so they are considering their options. In a year they may have to have a neighborhood youth maintain the grass in summer and remove snow in winter.

Later they may hire a commercial firm to manage these tasks and the flowerbeds.

They might join a "share-a garden" plan with apartment residents who wish to grow vegetables and flowers.

More of the property could be put into grass.

They might limit flowering plants to the raised patio.

Eventually they will move into seniors' apartment or a nursing home, but in the meantime they enjoy their garden and recognize its value.

VALUES PEOPLE HOLD FOR GARDENS

Stoneham and Jones (1997) asked inmates of sheltered housing (the British term for nursing homes) to evaluate 20 values that demonstrated the importance of gardening. Most of the subjects had at least a small garden plot attached to their home before they became residents.

Most highly rated by the subjects was the image a garden gives a home and the opportunity to enjoy oneself in solitude and yet have a topic to share with others. Very few rated very highly the expense of a garden, the chore to keep it beautiful, or the worry it caused when conditions were bad. All the other values were rated high including that gardening gives one the opportunity to socialize, be oneself, and blow off steam when necessary. Gardening keeps the gardener healthy, fit and active, provides contact with nature. It is captivating, stimulating, and fun to feel the soil and admire the produce. Most of the subjects missed having their own garden and looked forward to a garden club in the sheltered housing. They felt more useful when they gardened.

GARDENING ACTIVITIES FOR THOSE IN GROUP HOUSING

Most of these activities were mentioned in various articles in Wells (1997, ed.). They can be undertaken by individual seniors, active seniors, seniors confined to nursing homes or seniors' residences, by handicapped persons of any age and by caregivers.

Garden Clubs

Garden clubs are recommended not only for seniors living in apartments and nursing homes, but also for those living in their own homes. Homeowners can meet in various members' gardens during the growing season and in their houses in winter or inclement weather. Those who share housing with other people will o doubt have a lounge conference room, library, or some common space where they can meet. Plans could include hands on activities and special speakers. Funding for this might be obtained from senior sources or local nurseries. Topics could be drawn from the list below.

Community Gardens

Some cities set aside empty lots or special park areas for use as community gardens. Active seniors would enjoy growing at least five different vegetables and socializing on weekends at the garden plot. One of the cities that encourages community gardens in Canada is Montreal. An article about the Montreal Community Gardens including case studies of several seniors (one 92 years!) can be found in an article by Margo Pfieff (2001) in Canadian Geographic.

Become an Expert

When space is limited, a senior may have to zero in and become an expert on one plant or process. I am an apartment gardener and a senior. My best efforts have been with African violets and sansiveria, but over the years I've tried orchids, bonsai, and topiary. Petunias are my balcony favorite. My mother specialized in cacti. One could try terrariums, herbs, rock gardens, ferns, window boxes, rooftop gardens and organic gardening.

HANDS ON ACTIVITIES

Growing

• Grow avocado pits, date pit, orange seeds, coffee seeds, grapefruit seeds, macadamia nuts, coconut palms, beans, squash, pansies, coleus, carrots or —
• Cut and force flowering branches.
• Start cuttings of house plants.
• Make ivy topiary.
• Plant a bean teepee.
• Transplant seasonal plants.
• Root willow cuttings.
• Count the blossoms on miniature blooms.
• Plant a jade plant.
• Garden outdoors if you're active.
• Start an out door perennial garden.
• Have an aquatic garden.
• Make a composting bin.
• Make a window sill herb garden.

Sharing

• Pot bulbs in October for spring.
• Prepare planters and hanging baskets.
• Make a flower lottery game.
• Pick off seeds from herb spikes.

Creating Art

• Make orange pomanders.
• Make dried arrangements.
• Press foliage and flowers for cards etc.
• Make a miniature flower arrangement.
• Make potpourri and sachets.
• Stencil leaves for book covers.
• Make pressed material into window ornaments or door wreaths.
• Make corsages.
• Make seed mosaics into name tags and artwork.

Learning

• Collect a library of reading material about gardening and the use of garden products.
• Observe plant curiosities.
• Study the relationship of season, weather, soil and plants.
• Learn about new plants and their care.
• Study the composition of fertilizers, soils, insects and their control.
• Study the history of gardening through: Tomb and Cave Paintings, Restorative Gardens of Sumeria, Railway Gardens of Canada, Liberty and Victory Gardens of Twentieth Century Wars. (See http://www.gardendigest.com).
• Show films and videos on gardens and gardening.

Travel

• Arrange outings to show and prize gardens, parks, public gardens, botanical gardens, garden centres, natural areas, wilderness areas, or nurseries close at hand.
• Plan travel to gardens in other provinces and countries.

Communication and Relationships

• Arrange an intergenerational relationship program incorporating children and youth and seniors to build relationships.
• Circulate a newsletter to keep in touch during all seasons with topics such as what's in bloom, gardening techniques, new tools and energy conservation ideas.
• Make a children's play garden.
• Make sure gardens are accessible. This could involve lobbying.
• Make a fragrant garden for the blind.

About Tools

• Develop an indoor plant-table area.
• Make a scarecrow for a garden.
• Visit a garden show.
• Make vegetable stamps for Christmas cards.
• Have a fluorescent light unit.

Taste and Test

• Have smell and tell sessions with herbs and blossoms.
• Make chocolate leaf imprints for an ice cream party.
• Have a tasting session with fruits, vegetables, herbs or seeds.

Demonstrations

• Demonstrate planting and propagating techniques.
• Demonstrate art techniques listed above.

Try these ideas for activities and get full value from your garden by planning ahead.

References

Pfieff, Margo (2001), "City of gardens: Cultivation Community, " Canadian Geographic (Jan/Feb, pp. 64-72).

Stoneham, Jane & Ray Jones (1997), "Residential Landscapes: Their Contribution to the Quality of Older People's Lives." In Suzanne E. Wells Horticultural Therapy and the Older Adult Population, pp. 17-26, New York: Haworth Press, Inc.

Wells, Suzanne, E (ed) (1997), Horticultural Therapy and the Older Adult Population, Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press, Inc.