As the weather changes, look for opportunities to transition both your plants and your therapeutic gardening activities from outdoors to indoors. It is good to transfer our gardening activities indoors to extend the therapeutic benefits we gain from our involvement with nature. Tending to plants gives us a sense of purpose and need. Our fascination with nature can continue throughout the colder months with indoor activities. As older adults gravitate toward warmer indoor environments, bring the garden to them. Dust off potted herbs, spray them down to wash away any lingering outdoor critters and bring the pots indoors. If placed in sunny locations, rosemary, basil, parsley and lavender will all continue to grow indoors, delighting people with their fragrance. If you have south-facing windows, relocate pots of geraniums indoors. The splash of color will brighten moods and serve as sensory cue reference points to help orient people with partial sight or diminished visual acuity. Involve the elderly in autumn gardening activities. Snip pieces off vibrant coleus plants, place them in water to root, and set in a sunny windowsill to grow. A shopping trip to the local gardening center to buy beautiful ceramic pots on clearance turns a simple gardening activity into a social outing. Once autumn settles in, shift your garden practices to capture your plants’ longevity. Although your outside growing season may be waning, your garden is a living organism that provides therapeutic benefits year-round.
We need to include plants that offer food and habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The NY Times Op Ed today by Doug Tallamy offers an important message. There are also therapeutic benefits by attracting nature into our gardens.
It might make sense to bring your tablet to the garden with you. This article offers suggestions for a few useful apps for the garden.
I was asked recently about red colored leaves and how they make chlorophyll. The article offers a good explanation of how nature has this all figured out. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/02/17/garden/20100218-aquaponics-slideshow_index-2.html
On this spring day, I am surrounded by fragrances from the flowers that are in bloom. There’s a profusion of great fragrances – lilac, honeysuckle, roses, and so many other flowers. Our sense of smell is so powerful. The various fragrances instantly bring me back to childhood and memories of playing outside. Our sense of smell has been proven to be the strongest stimulator of memories, even more effective that visual and auditory cues. This may seem to be a simple passing pleasure. However, we need to remember how important our sense of smell is and why we need to plant more fragrant plants. Gardens should include plants that people can recognize and help them remember past events. The smell of roses transports me back to my grandfather’s garden. I am sure that if I handed you some basil leaves, you would immediately tell me that this smells like your mother’s kitchen. All many reasons why planting herbs and other fragrant plants in your garden is so wonderful. Our sense of smell is powerful and remembering pleasant fragrances can be therapeutic. Reminiscence therapy programs use plants to help evoke past memories. So including plants like lilac, wisteria and fragrant herbs in the garden can transport one back immediately to fond memories of past events.
I have been bringing some of my herbs inside for the winter. This is a great way to extend the growing season and have fresh herbs to use in cooking during the winter months. It is also a nice way to bring some of those great fragrances inside. Lemon balm in a pot by the window helps bring back memories of a great garden this past summer. If you did not act quickly enough before the frost, there are a few stores that carry potted herbs. I have seen rosemary, thyme, chives and other herbs for sale. There are some things to consider when finding the right location and exposure for these plants. Sunlight, watering, temperature and other factors need to be taken into consideration. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal has some great tips on transitioning herbs indoors. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204712904578094731197090020.html
OK – I admit it – it is hot outside. If you have plants in pots, you will see them wilting faster than plants in the ground. Best to check them each day and look for signs of wilting. An important things to consider during there spikes in temperature and the warmer days of summer ahead is watering the plants, especially now that we have officially moved into summer. It is better to water longer because you will saturate the soil. The goal is to water deeply so plants will produce roots that go deeper into the soil. The results will be healthier plants that will be able to withstand dry periods longer. Watering for only a few minutes doesn’t really help a plant because it will only dry out again sooner. Most plants need an inch of water per week during the spring and fall season. An inch and a half of water is required, on average, during summer months. Mulching around plants helps retain moister in the soil and you will not have to water as often. I use a shredded hard wood mulch around larger plants such as trees and shrubs. I have been using newspaper and straw in the vegetable garden. Having soils that are rich in organic material helps retain moisture longer. Frequently check the soil to see how dry it actually is. Stick your finger into the ground down to your knuckle. If it is still moist – check it again the next day. Remember – watering deeply throughout the root zone of the plants is the key. Deeper roots (trees and shrubs) require longer watering. A good video on watering tips – that is fun to watch – and actually learn from is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrdN5Z5K5Qs
Many people really enjoy growing tomatoes. And there’s a great variety of plants – from small cherry tomatoes to the larger slicing tomatoes. We go to great lengths to water, weed and protect these special plants. One of the questions people ask about caring for tomato plants is how to pinch off the suckers that emerge between the branches. Removing the suckers on indeterminate tomato plants is important. Indeterminate tomatoes are tomato plants that continue growing in length throughout the growing season. However, you do not want to remove the suckers from the bush (determinant) tomato plants because these are smaller growing plants. Staking is another important consideration in tending to tomato plants. I have staked tomatoes one way for many years – learning the skill from my grandfather. (Doesn’t it all go back to ideas gleaned from other gardeners?) My grandfather used to use wooden stakes and tie up the plants with string.
For many of us, spring has arrived earlier than normal, and we’re are eager to start planting many of our favorite vegetables. Best to stick to the cold weather crops, such as lettuce, kale and spinach until the ‘last frost date’ has passed. However, don’t wait too long to start to select the tomatoes you want to plant in the garden. Have you been checking out some of the heirloom varieties? ‘Cherokee Purple’ has a distinct darker color with a slightly salty and acidic taste. Looking for a milder flavor. Try ‘Pineapple’ or ‘Orange Strawberry’ that have a sweet and slightly fruity taste. Do you want to grow a tomato that will cause some to raise an eye brow, as well as offer a sharp tangy flavor – grow the ‘Green Zebra’ variety. How about trying the ‘Great White’ tomato which has a mild flavor while ripening. It is white while young and turns a light yellow/pink color as it ripens. Several companies offer these and other seeds, including Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org), Native Seeds (www.nativeseeds.org) and, one of the oldest seed houses in America, D. Landreth Seed Company (www.landrethseeds.com).
1. Maine Weather Stick is a natural barometer that helps tell if it is going to rain or will be sunny – Kinsman Company http://www.kinsmanwholesale.com/ ($6.95) 2.Paper Pot Maker tool to roll old newspapers into seed pots (#38-636) – Gardener’s Supply www.Gardeners.com ($19.95) 3. Subscription to a garden magazine, i.e. Garden Gate, Organic Gardening, Garden Design, Urban Farm and many others 4.Digging tools – high end gardening shovels, rakes, hand tools, children’s tools and many other garden implements www.sneeboerUSA.com 5.Chirp! USA features bird songs from across the continental US – This App for your phone can be found at www.spinysoft.co.uk ($2.99) 6.Heirloom tomato, melons, pumpkins, carrots and other vegetable seeds, that offer better taste, quality and nutritional value, www.rareseeds.com 7. The Raised Garden Kit make it easier to grow fresh vegetables and herbs in small spaces and comes in varying sizes, www.xcoutregalia.com ($95.00) 8. The Mobile Edible Walls vertical planters are a great way to grow fresh vegetables in a small spaces, www.agreenroof.com 9. Membership to an arboretum for garden visits throughout the year that will be an inspiration for all gardeners (and friends of gardeners) 10. Schedule a Garden Consultation for the new year to learn how to update and increase activities within the garden, www.designforgenerations.com
Recent Case Studies
Contact Information
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
