WALK IN THE PARK

An article in the Wall Street Journal today, Aug. 30, talks about the benefits of spending time outside in nature.  The author of the article, Shirley S Wang, suggests “Taking in the sights and sounds of nature appears to be especially beneficial for our minds.”  Research indicates how our memory and attention improves by as much as 20% after a walk in an arboretum.  People who walk along a busy street show no cognitive improvement.  So, plan on walking in the garden, an arboretum or other nature-filled setting.  You will benefit from the experience.   To read more from the article, “Coffee Break? Walk in the park?  Why Unwinding is Hard.”, visit the link at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904199404576538260326965724.html?mod=djemLifeStyle_h

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Therapeutic Gardens Greenletter – August 2011

GARDEN-SHARE.COM

An interesting garden web site to check out is Garden-Share.com.  The site offers a variety of interactive groups to share ideas, such as vegetable Gardens, Perennials, Herbs, Container Gardens and other groups.  According to the web site, vegetable gardening has enjoyed a surge in popularity.  A recent survey of their members indicated that 45.8 percent of the gardeners cited “relaxation and enjoyment” as the main reason for gardening.

WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS

It is well know that the physical characteristics of a neighborhood influence the rate of walking by people living in the area.  The research paper “Influence of environmental street characteristics on walking route choice of elderly people” published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (2009) shows that this is especially true for older adults. Distance to parks, grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores and other entities influences whether older adults will walk to these sites.  Pedestrian friendly design is very important for elders to encourage them to walk.  Daily physical activities helps elders stay in shape, reduce weight, and stay socially connected.  “Sufficient physical activity among older adults can reduce the risk of falls and increase functional status.”

SUMMER FRAGRANCE

Spending time outside during the summer months has many benefits, among them, the fragrances of the garden can be very profound.  The Moonflower Vine has wonderfully smelling flowers that open as the sun sets.  Gardenia is a plant that does well in pots and can be moved to the patio for enjoying is fragrant flowers.  (You can bring it inside for the winter.) The more common plants, such as Basil, Lavender and Rosemary, add delight to all gardens.  Be sure to plant them close to the walk or patio so you can touch them to release their delightful aromas.

CREPE MYRTLES

It is hard to resist this tree, especially during the summer months.  This is one of the few summer flowering trees.  It is easy to care for, relatively disease resistant and is available in a range of sizes.  Be sure to select a height that fits the setting.  They are available in dwarf sizes up to 20 feet tall.  They prefer a sunny location.  I mention picking the ‘right tree for the right location’, because there is the term ‘crepe murder’ is used to identify the trees that are pruned to reduce their height.

TOMATOES

A recent discussion of whether to cut out the suckers from tomato plants led to a little research.  An educational and interesting on-line video details why suckers should be removed from indeterminant plants versus determinant (shrub) tomato plants.  The sucker is the new growth taken off of the leaf terminal (new growth between the stalk and branch).  Never sucker above the new blossoms.  A link to the You Tube video is at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJgA4n-sCE8

LIME BASIL

Looking for an unusual plant to add to your recipes or just a conversation started in the garden – try growing Lime basil.  It is great to add to your culinary adventures because of its unique gourmet flavor for fish and chicken dishes, vinegars, dressings, sauces, as well as for herb oils. It grows as a smaller compact (12″ – 24″) plant with  bright green leaves, Lime Basil is good to plant in containers and  along the walk so that contact will release its zesty aroma.  It is very fragrant and will definitely attract attention.

HUMMINGBIRDS

A quick list of some of the plants that will attract hummingbirds includes: cardinal Flower, Trumpet Honeysuckle and Pineapple Sage, to name a few.

“I could go on and on.  But that is what gardening is, going on and on.” – Margery Fish

Design for Generations, LLC

Creating Restorative Gardens.

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