Monthly Archives: January 2009
Recent research conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden indicates that remaining socially engaged and maintaining a positive outlook can help reduce the risk of developing dementia. “Our findings suggest that having a calm and outgoing personality in combination with a socially active lifestyle may decrease the risk of developing dementia even further”, as described by the studies author Hui-Xin Wang, Ph.D. The study appears in the January 20, 2009 issue of the Journal Neurology. This leads to the question of how to help people stay socially engaged. Having hobbies, expanding interests, maintaining relationships all go a long way to staying healthy. Creating environments that positively support a persons interaction with others are vital to their health and well-being. This applies to outdoor as well as indoor settings. The value of nature cannot be over emphasized. It is one things to be able to move about your home. It is as equally as important to be able to go next door and visit with the neighbors, to walk into town to pick up groceries for dinner or to attend a social event at church or other venues. The research validates what we know inherently know to be true. Our connection to the community positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
People do care about nature. We are ‘hard-wired’ to nature. The scientific term for this connection is called ‘biophilia.’ The term was popularized by the sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson in his 1984 book “Biophylia: The Human Bond With Other Species.” People subconsciously look to maintain a connection with nature and the world around us, specifically plants animals and landscapes. There are countless stories and we can point to examples in our everyday lives. A recent story in the January-February 2009 issue of the AARP Bulletin highlights this connection. It seems that older adult residents of a Mass. apartment complex were willing to go to battle to save the life of a crab apple tree. “The Shrewsbury Housing Authority, which manages Francis Gardens, a 100 unit complex for older adults, ordered the tree cut down in September so that a dumpster could be relocated. Lee Perone, 74, and Pat Henry, 65, didn’t want the dumpster beneath their windows. Besides, Perrone says, when the tree blooms, ‘It’s the most beautiful thing – pink.’ So the pair roped chairs around the tree and staged a sit-in. Both women received eviction notices. After a local lawyer volunteered to represent them, the housing authority backed down. The tree was saved.” People do care about nature, regardless of age and we need to be more aware of this fact. We all need to advocate for strengthening the connection with the natural world. Creating community gardens, walking trails, bike paths and simply places to enjoy nature are so very important.
The article in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer (1-21-09) discusses the need to focus greater attention on how we can prepare to meet the needs of an aging population. The article titled “Communities meeting the needs of an aging population” looks at NORC’s and other examples of how our communities are evolving to better address the needs of the coming age wave. The link to the article can be found at: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090121_Municipal_planners_prepare_to_meet_needs_of_aging_population.html
The idea for an organic vegetable garden within the grounds of the White House seems to be gaining interest and momentum. I first heard the suggestion during a radio interview with Michael Pollan, author of ‘In Defense of Food‘, The Penguin Press in which Mr. Pollan talked about the need to return to creating of home and community gardens. The idea has been raised again, this time in the Wall Street Journal, on January 16, 2009 in the Weekend Journal. The article “Extreme Makeover: White House Edition” by Dominique Browning talks about redecorating the White house for the Obamas as well as looking at ways to make the overall residence ‘greener’. The WSJ article suggests that “the Obamas can kick off another Victory Garden movement in America’s suburbs, but it needs a new name…try Sunshine Gardens, symbolizing a return to sustainable farm practice using a plentiful energy supply.” I would like to explore the idea further in the coming months and see where it all leads. I think that we can and should expand on this notion. There are infinite number of possibilities as people grow their own vegetables. Backyards, front yards, balconies, roof tops, etc, are all feasible locations for raising fresh organice produce. Creating Sunshine Gardens will be good for everyone and not just in single family residences. There are opportunities to develop gardens in schools, hospitals, etc. People who want to ‘age-in-place’ will consider raising their own fresh vegetables in raised planters. The list goes on and on. This is a subject that will be explored further and actual examples of how it is being conducted today will be presented. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. The link to the WSJ article can be found at the following link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123206925413188425.html?mod=rss_Lifestyle
The use of plants that are native to our geographical region is important for several reasons. These plants typically conserve water and in turn require less irrigation. They are hardier and less susceptible to unwanted garden pests. Native plants typically require less care and are easily adapted to the local environment. Many times they offer food and shelter for wildlife. Consideration for incorporating native plants into your garden is very important. Most every state has a native plant society. The organization for New Jersey, as an example, is the Native Plant Society of NJ. Their web site is http://www.njnps.org and the site is full of great information. There is a speaker series on a variety of topics and interests; list of plants; sources, references and other valuable information. You can sign up for their newsletter. And there are valuable tools that can help you create native plant areas in your yard, such as rain gardens, that capture the stormwater and utilize it within your own property. As we know, rain water can do more to provide the nutrients that plants need far better than we could ever do using the tap water from our home.
The web site One Square Inch talks about finding a quiet place in nature, in this case it is within Olympic National Park. The purpose is to protect the soundscape of the natural wilderness. The web site is: http://onesquareinch.org and I encourage you to visit. I was fascinated to read about the work of Gordon Hempton who ia an acoustic ecologist. His book, ‘One Square Inch of Silence‘ (Free Press) will be published in March 2009. It is great to be able to lose yourself in nature and not be distracted by man-made noises. It is not all that easy to find a quiet sanctuary where the sounds of planes flying overhead, people talking or cars rattling by can interrupt our train of thoughts. One of the many therapeutic aspects of gardening is the peace and solitude that spending time in nature brings. Thinking about this, I am reminded that I get ‘lost’ in my garden and can tune out the worlds distractions. One of my favorite times to ‘work’ in the garden is early moring , before everyone wakes up. I can focus on deadheading, pulling weeds, composting, seperating perennials or many of the other endless tasks that gardeners pursue. I start thinking about what I need to do and before I know it an hour or more has passed. This is the quiet fascination that the garden offers. Nature is, as Roger Ulrich, Ph.D. describes, a ‘positive dostratction.’ Nature has the ability to take our mind of of the many things that happen throughout the day. Nature does not question, comment or judge us. Nature simply accepts us for who we are.
This is a good time of year to take a good look at your (therapeutic) garden and the overall landscape. Winter pulls away the veil and lets us more clearly view the structure of the natural environment.
Less day light and colder temperatures can limit out time outdoors, especially for older adults. The results can be, for some people, seasonal depression. We always benefit from from spending time in the sunlight. Taking a walk through the park or even out in the garden can do two important things to help alleviate these feelings of depression. The first thing is that exercise will help to boost production of serotonin levels and that will help to make us feel better. The second element to this activity is that the sunlight will help to balance our circadian rhythms which are the natural wake, sleep cycles of the body. The key here is to remain active and a good way to do that is in the outdoor environment. Sometimes, during the winter months, when it is not possible to get outside on certain days, visitng an indoor garden may be the next best thing. If there is a botanical garden in your community, look into becoming a member or just making a visit to get acquainted. Spending time in these indoor gardens can be another good way to help relieve the winter time blues. The warmer temperatures and humid air will help you feel like you are in your garden in the summer time. All of the lush plants and great variety of species will defiinitely excite the senses. Think of it as a mini vacation in your winter therapeutic garden. Be sure to bring a book, maybe some of those plant catalogues that have been arriving in the mail and a note pad to jot down all of those good ideas. Spend some time, as often as you can, and look forward to spring when you will be outside again in your own garden. And – be sure to keep an eye out for those early spring bulbs. It may be a little too soon. However, as the saying goes – hope springs eternal.
We intuitively believe that nature is good for us. Research by Mayer, Frantz, Bruehlman-Senecal and Dolliver has shown that we do benefit from spending time in the natural world. The research study ” Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connections to Nature“, Sept. 5, 2008, demonstrated that people who walked in an arboretum “experienced higher levels of private self-awareness and awareness of their immediate environment.” The study indicates that people who are outside in nature “reap greater psychological benefits.” There exists a greater need to create outdoor environments that encourage people connect with the natural world. Examples include and are not limited to the involvement in organic gardens, nature paths, arboretum, bike rides, nature centers and other nature focused settings. The ability to spend time in nature is very important for ourselves and everyone. Our goal should be to create the opportunities that allow people to access nature on a dialy basis.
Seed catalogues have started to arrive and they are a welcome sign that spring cannot be that far away. Many of the catalogues are highlighting more of the heirloom vegetables. These plants offer greater variety in the garden in the way of color and flavor. There are tomatoes, as an example, that are orange, pink or purple in color. These tomatoes offer flavors that are different from any of the more common beefsteak varieties that are on the market today. It is worth searching out these plants as seeds of the plants themselves. They are sure to bring fun and excitement to the garden. And to the table as well. It may even be a reason to get some people to try vegetables that they may have not wanted to eat in the past. [The garden pictured above is a community garden that Nancy & I share with two other families, here, in Medford. The garden plot is approximately 20′ by 20′. There are other gardens pictures in the photograph. The community garden has been a place to experiment with new or older varieties of plants. I have been wanting to use more of the heirloom tomatoe plants and will try them this year. Half of the fun is getting together at the garden to do some weeding, pick the vegetables as they ripen and to share a glass of wine. The garden is as much a place to socialize as it is to grow our own fresh, organic produce.]
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Design For Generations, LLC
Jack Carman F.A.S.L.A.
92 Tallowood Drive
Medford NJ 08055
Voice – 609-953-5881
Fax – 609-953-1625
jack@designforgenerations.com
www.designforgenerations.com
