As we reflect on the year that is nearing completion and begin to look forward the new year just ahead, many people are moved to give gifts to those around them. These gifts represent gratitude and kinship. They give nod to our relationships, acknowledging the importance of those around us.
Natural spaces benefit our bodies and our brains every season of the year. These quick and easy horticultural experiences bring nature indoors this winter, helping to encourage socialization and improve mental health while getting longevity out of seasonal plants. Repurpose holiday flowers. Offer seniors a multi-sensory experience of creating their own homemade potpourri. Dry the faded blooms by setting them on a tray covered with paper towels and placing in a dry, warm space. Turn over once a day to rid the blooms of excess moisture. Once dry, offer an array of scented oils for seniors to choose from. Encourage them to choose a dominant scent and add four drops of that scent to the faded blooms. Then, add one drop of an accent scent. Place blooms in an airtight jar and open 24 hours later to discover the delightful scent. Create dried orange slice decorations. Collect fallen twigs from your therapeutic garden and place in a vase. Dry orange slices on parchment paper in an oven set to 250 degrees for two to three hours. When cool, poke a hole through the orange flesh near the rind, tie a ribbon through each orange and hang the ornaments on the twigs. Repurpose evergreen wreaths and trees. Delight the birds in your therapeutic garden by adding old, live wreaths or an evergreen tree. Secure the tree either by wiring it to a post or placing the trunk in a five-gallon bucket filled with wet sand. Place bird feeders in or under the wreaths and tree. The birds will enjoy the sheltered dining area, while seniors will enjoy watching new feathered friends visit the garden.
By Jack Carman, FASLA, RLA, CAPS and John Kennedy, CDM Photo Credit: Jack Carman, , FASLA, LLA, PP “Food glorious food” as Oliver sings in the play of the same name. We plan our lives around our meals. It may even seem that we finish breakfast and start to think about what we want to eat for lunch. Keeping people engaged in what they eat is important. The opportunities to grow and use a variety of foods for meals can be offered in a range of communities, whether it is a retirement community, day care program, school or other setting where meals are served. The rise in popularity of locally grown foods has been highlighted in books by people such as Michael Pollan, programs on the Food Network and in magazine articles. There is a great interest in knowing where your food comes from as well as ways to prepare these food for meals. A good first step in helping people understand better is to start coordinating the foods that you may want to grow with the kitchen staff of the community. The possibilities of different foods to consider include herbs, vegetables and even some flowers. Demonstration cooking can be a great way to engage people in the meals that are prepared for them. The “Chefs Garden Series” at the Chicago Botanic Garden teaches people how to cook with garden-fresh ingredients throughout the summer. Noted chefs prepare recipes in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden’s open-air amphitheater (left). This can be done by inviting chefs from restaurants in your area to prepare special meals that they are known for. The article “5 Must Haves for Repositioning a Senior Living Community” highlights Culinary Activities as the second most important item to consider (Jason Oliva, Senior Housing News, June 10, 2014). Dining programs should provide different settings, such as outdoor eating areas, bistros and coffee bars. Choice and flexibility in the daily menu is also an important consideration. And, yes, it’s safe to grow your own produce. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “residents can benefit from having a variety of fresh foods for their consumption, as long as the dangers of foodborne illness are mitigated to the greatest extent possible through the facility” (CMS Ref: S&C: 11-38-NH, Sept. 7, 2011). Any resistance to use of using foods harvested from the gardens should be discussed within the community. Many times it is a lack of understanding of what is involved for food safety that can be easily resolved. There are many resources available, such as GAP Good Agricultural Practices, which can be found at: http://www.gaps.cornell.edu/index.html. GAP is a collection of standards developed by industry and governments to grow and process produce safely. Connecting with ‘the kitchen’ is an important part of the equation. Some residential settings offer the ability of a family to prepare their own meals. The Family House at the Gift of Life Donor Program in Philadelphia has a small garden off of the dining area where herbs are grown (right). There is also a grill for cookouts. These elements are offered to encourage family members staying at the Family House to spend time outdoors in nature, which is a way to help reduce the stress they may be feeling while a loved one undergoes a medical procedure. Preparing meals that all can share is an important step for increased socialization as well as building community. Chef Ryan Pomeroy of Foulkeways and Regional Executive Chef for Morrison Senior Living states that the involvement in raising fresh vegetables and herbs is becoming more common as the baby boomers move into retirement living and expect to continue cooking. He recalls a resident that had approached him about a recipe she was contemplating making. She was planning to entertain friends in her apartment. One of the recipes she was preparing called for fresh tarragon. Not knowing exactly what this was or where to get it, she contacted Chef Ryan. He knew exactly what to do and they located the tarragon growing in the herb garden. She cut what she needed for her recipe and off she went. A herb garden (below) was recently installed next to the renovated Meadow Cafe dining area at Foulkeways Continuing Care Retirement Community in Gwynedd, PA. The indoor areas look directly out onto the herb garden, as does the outdoor terrace seating. The kitchen staff takes full advantage of the use of the organically grown herbs that are freshly picked for meals. The residents see what is being used in the preparation of their meals. An education program, “Time with Herbs”, offers tips on using the herbs and flowers that are grown in the garden. Chef Ryan hopes to expand the herb garden to an all-out vegetable garden noting that administration has been very positive about the involvement of the chefs and the kitchen. Chef Ryan grew up in a gardening family. When he was younger, he had his own plot of tomatoes, peppers and other summer vegetables to tend. He notes that he had lost touch with gardening in the early part of a busy career as a chef. When he settled down, he and his family started gardening again, which is again a key part of his life with his children. He added that when he arrives home after a day of work he sometimes spends 10 minutes or more pulling weeds before joining his family. This is his personal therapy to help unwind after a busy day. Chef John Branella, the Executive Chef at the Evergreens in Moorestown, NJ, conducts regular monthly cooking programs with residents and prospective residents who are visiting as guests of the community to get a taste of life should they decide to move in. One recent demonstration included making homemade ice cream using honey from local hives to create a honey chocolate bourbon pecan pie ice cream. Other flavors included NJ fresh blueberries and a double French vanilla. During the summer months he features tomatoes and includes New Jersey grown tomatoes as well as fruit grown in the gardens at the Evergreens. Other items include fresh sliced tomatoes and basil pesto. The basil plants are raised from seed and grown in the community’s greenhouse (bottom left) and cared for by the residents (bottom right). This interaction of the garden and cooking should take on a regional vernacular. The Episcopal Home in Louisville, KY incorporates seasonal food activities in the meal program. Chef Robert Henry creates true southern dinners of fried green tomatoes and corn on the cob that is raised in the community. Other vegetables raised include zucchini, squash and cucumbers. They are able to grow herbs that can be used year round, due to their region and climate. Many of the residents of the community participate in tending to the gardens. Beth Phillips, RD is the dietitian at the Evergreens and is responsible for all clinical nutrition and also supports the independent living dining program. Beth remarked that she feels that there is a great positive for the residents to see vegetables growing in the garden. “Just like your own backyard”, she went on to say that this helps strip away the institutional feeling and creates a more homelike atmosphere. This helps to reduce the stress that can be inherent in a community setting. In turn this can help improve appetite, offer reasons to increase socialization and provide opportunities to connect with the larger community through gardening. Creating relationships between the culinary staff and the residents of a community is vitally important if the programs are to succeed. The community horticulturalist, an avid resident gardener or horticultural therapist can be the catalyst in these relationships between kitchen and client. Understanding what can be grown and how it is to be used is one of the conversations that should kick off community garden and cooking programs.
Article written to support Eden Alternative webinar We really do enjoy being outside. Think back to the first time you learned how to ride a bike or fly a kite. How about talking a walk in a park with your family on a spring day? You may have fond memories of a vacation at the beach or the mountains. Our interests in the outdoor environment include a variety of activities that may include gardening, hiking, bird watching, and so much more. Just because we get older, we don’t stop enjoying and participating in outdoor interests. The fact remains that we like to be outside in nature. People want to be able to continue these activities – or even explore new interests and hobbies. And, it’s our task to help them do this! There are always opportunities to connect with the outdoors and then create the gardens that support our ability to do so. It doesn’t matter if the available area is large or small. Even if it’s a patio or balcony, there is room for pots, a wind chime, bird feeder, and other nature related elements. Many times, though, it is a question of where to get started. This is an exciting part of the planning process because it taps into people’s interests, memories, and perhaps even long forgotten needs. Let’s take the planning of a vegetable garden as one example of where to start. It begins with a conversation. Try asking someone: “What’s your favorite vegetable?” You may get many answers. And there is almost always one person who can tell you how to grow the best tomato plant (or zucchini or basil, etc.). Looking through garden catalogues is another way to encourage a conversation. The late winter mail box is full of seed catalogues. Marking pages, cutting out pictures, filling out order forms is all part of the process. The next step is to look at where the plants will grow. What are the conditions? Is there available space to grow the vegetable plants? How is the soil? Is there good drainage? Should you add compost or organic matter to the soil to make it work better? Is there water nearby to hook up a hose or use a watering can? How about sun light? The more sun, the better the plants will do. These are just some of the questions to ask in planning the garden. If it is your first time, it may seem like a lot to take in. Find a seasoned gardener, they understand what is involved. Begin with simple steps. Gardening is as much about community and socialization as it is growing fresh food. A vegetable garden is one example of the many ways you can meet the needs of your community. Herb, butterfly, and/or perennial gardens are other wonderful options to consider. A garden can help Elders remain engaged. There is a sense of purpose involved when someone is responsible for keeping the plants alive. Even picking fresh basil and tomatoes to use for preparing the dinner meal can be encouraging. Another question to ask – and sometimes it is the elephant in the room – what is the garden going to cost? A garden, many times, has more to do with sweat equity. Who can help clear the area for the garden and prepare the soil. There may be a local garden club that is interested in helping. You may need to use raised planters or containers for growing the plants. Eagle Scouts are often looking for projects, and their help can be enlisted to build the planters. Funds may be available through local organizations to support a new garden program or a grant through a national association. A poignant example of how and why our interest in nature does not change involves a story of an Elder living in a care community. Mrs. Jones lives with dementia and is a very active person. She is often seen walking with her purse under her arm, as if she were walking in her old neighborhood. She stops to say “hello” to people. Along the way, she will check on the plants. She puts her finger in the pot to see if it is dry and needs water and gets help to water the plant. This is a direct result of the things that she did throughout her life, and clearly one reason why it is so important for her to have access to nature. Our connection to nature positively affects our overall health and quality of life. Access to nature has been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. There is a natural absorption of Vitamin D when exposed to the sun for a short period of time. Being outside during the day will help to balance our circadian rhythms, which are the natural wake and sleep cycles of the body. Think about how good you feel from being outside and working up an appetite from working in the garden or taking a walk. This doesn’t change as we age. Gardens in all environments have long been an untapped resource. So, let’s get started! Consider contacting a trained landscape design professional, such as a landscape architect, experienced in the design and development of gardens for Elders. Doing so ensures the success of your planning process. The process of planning, growing, and maintaining gardens meets individual needs, as well as that of the overall organization. A garden offers an opportunity to build on the past interests and passions of Elders, engage teams in powerfully creative and collaborative ways, and recharge community spirit and enthusiasm. Jack Carman, FASLA, RLA, CAPS Design for Generations, LLC 609-953-5881 jack@designforgenerations.com www.designforgenerations.com
HUMMINGBIRDS A few tips to help attract these fascinating birds to our garden: The color of the flower is more attractive to these small birds, as opposed to fragrance, which does not attract them The color red is most appealing, however, other colors, such as white and pink, are attractive A few of the plants that are attractive to Hummingbirds include Coral Bells, Trumpet Creeper, Fuchsia, Cardinal Flower and Pineapple Sage One of the most recommended to plant to attract these birds is Bee Balm (Monarda) Be sure not to use pesticides in the garden as this may keep the hummingbirds from visiting Hummingbirds are native to the western hemisphere and are territorial NATURE AND VITALITY The paper “Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature” (R.M. Ryan et al. 2010) looks at the positive impact of being outdoors and in natural settings. It is known that outdoor natural settings impact wellness for individuals. The paper supports the previous research on the positive and restorative effects of nature. It is often the particular setting in which nature is an important reason why the outdoor environment is vitalizing. We often choose to vacation in nature (the seashore or mountains) and may even decide to live for a year round nature experience. SUMMER READING I just subscribed to Heirloom Gardener magazine. It is a great summer read, offering suggestions for more of the ‘old fashioned’ vegetable plants. There are some fun articles on what and how people are using these older varieties of plants to achieve better tasting produce. The web site is interesting and worth bookmarking. http://rareseeds.com/magazine/ TRANSPLANTING The summer is not the best time to be transplanting plants. However, if you need to separate those perennials or want to give a fellow gardener one of the plants from your garden, you may want to use Wilt-Pruf. It is an all natural spray that coats the plant to stop them from transpiring. It can also be used to prevent moisture loss due to drought and wind. TOMATOES We are experimenting with over 25 varieties of tomatoes this summer in the HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) Garden at Faith Presbyterian Church. Many are heirloom varieties, such as Viva Italia, Prudence Purple, Black Zebra, Lemon Boy, Mortgage Lender and Snow White. The tomatoes are being grown for the needy and donated for local shelters. DRIP IRRIGATION Providing water directly to the plants is the goal. When installing an irrigation system, consider using drip irrigation. With drip irrigation, the water goes to the plant and does not run off into the gutter. It is also cost saving because you do not water things that do not need to be watered. The system works best with plants (lawns may require other means of irrigation.) The current online issue of This Old House has a good article on drip irrigation. www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,1088902,00.html?xid=grnewsletter-110706-drip-irrigation “But thought an old man, I am but a young gardener.” – Thomas Jefferson Happy summer gardening!
Spring is here! It is great to see things blooming and all of the vivid colors. Perennials, flowering trees and shrubs make for a magnificent display. If space for planting is a concern, think about making gardening easier by installing raised planters and vertical planters. Enjoy!
SPRING HEALING Ecological restorationists are professionals that work to get the natural plant systems working again. They do this by resupplying drained wetlands with water, planting native plants and seeds and by removing invasive species. We can do similar work when we improve our own gardens and create new gardens by doing the following: Removing invasive plants is one way that we can help the natural ecosystems. Adding rain gardens to capture the rain water and help it to infiltrate on-site instead of running off our property. Using rain barrels to capture storm water and use it to water our garden. Mulching the beds to reduce erosion and help retain moisture benefits the plants. Including native plantings to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. These actions help heal the land and this heals us. We all benefit from nature in many positive ways. BLUEBERRIES One plant that should be considered for most gardens are blueberries. There are several varieties today that offer possibilities. Polaris will grow in Zones 3 to 8 and is about 3 foot tall. Top Hat is a smaller plant reaching 18 inches and is an excellent choice for planting in containers to use on patios and balconies. Northsky is another compact blueberry and the fruit ripens in mid July. It is good to try different varieties to insure good pollination. For more information on pruning, over-wintering, water requirements and other growing blueberry conditions, check out the web site: http://howtogardenguide.com/2008/02/26/blueberry-care/ ATTRACTING POLLINATORS We need to encourage pollinators into our gardens by planting the things that will cause them to visit. Some of the annuals to consider planting to attract these beneficial insects and animals include Russian Sage, Bee Balm, Sunflowers, and Bachelor Buttons. Perennials are good to use, not only because they are attractive to pollinators and they will come back every year. These plants include Poppies, Sage, Basil, Lambs Ear, and Oregano. These plants are honey bee as well as human favorites. NATURAL WEED CONTROL One of the ways to help reduce the weeds in our garden, walkways and other areas is to use vinegar. To kill grass on sidewalks and driveways, pour full strength white distilled vinegar on it. Spray white distilled vinegar full strength on tops of weeds and reapply on any new growth until plants have starved. Normal vinegar has a 5% acetic acid concentration. This is not enough to kill the mature weeds; however, it will kill the young growth. You may need to apply vinegar twice to kill all the new growth. The conditions should be rain free for a few days for the vinegar to be most effective. NEW PLANTS It seems like we have fast forwarded into spring and everything is starting to bloom. This is a good time to take stock of what is doing well in the garden and what may need to be replaced. Get out a note pad to jot down ideas of what we may want to add to our garden. And keep those notes with you when you visit garden centers. Keep an eye out, first of all, for the plants that are indigenous to the region. These plants will perform better because they are native and require less water. The plants will also attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other friendly visitors into your garden. DEER AWAY The deer have already been or will be returning to sample the newly planted vegetables in your garden. One of the ways I have found that is effective in chasing away the deer is the motion activated water spray called “The ScarecCrow”. One of the companies that sell it is Deer Busters. It is attached to your hose and will repel unwanted intruders for up to 30 feet. (Remember to turn it off during the day – otherwise you may chase friendly visitors – like the postal worker). A link to their site is at: http://www.deerbusters.com/dee-4015.html “You are as welcome as the flowers in May” – Charles Macklin
The April GreenLetter is all about getting started again for spring. Checking soils, determining the best ways to plant healthy gardens and assessing our plants after a long cold snowy winter are a few of the things to consider. We should also be considering our own health and well-being, for example, looking at our circadian rhythms and how they are in balance. Enjoy the garden and enjoy all that spring has to offer. Happy gardening!
WALKING AND MEMORY Research indicates that walking changes the hippocampus volume in the brain resulting in improved memory performance. As we age, the hippocampus loses one to two percent of volume each year, which affects our memory and could possibly increase the risk of dementia. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, followed older adults aged 50 to 80 years of age over the course of a year. Modest aerobic exercise reversed brain shrinkage by one to two years. So, getting outside and walking on a regular basis will not only help us maintain good health, it will also reverse loss of memory! The article in the Wall Street Journal is at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476604576158453716983010.html?KEYWORDS=Exercise+Boosts+Brain+Power SPRING Daylight saving time occurs March 13th and spring is a week later starting on April 20th. Maybe you are like many people and cannot wait to experience the colors and sights the garden will bring. So, cutting a few branches and ‘forcing’ the plants to bloom is a way to get an early taste of what the season has in store. You can cut the branches of forsythia, quince, cherry and magnolia and bring them indoors. Bring the branches inside and re-cut the branches at a 45 degree angle and place them in a vase of water. When the blossoms appear, keep them out of direct sunlight. Be sure to change the water every two or three days, and enjoy spring a few weeks early! COST SAVINGS Studies conducted by the U.S. Forestry Service have conducted studies that show that a shade tree planted on the west side of a building or home saved about $120 in energy costs. Shade trees planted on the south side of the building save only $39 in energy costs. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is today”, indicates Rowan Rowntree, the lead scientist and visionary with the Forestry Service conducting research on the value of planting trees in urban areas. PRIMROSE The primrose (primula) is one of the first flowers of the spring season and the first rose of the season. The wild European primrose, Primula vulgaris, was an indicator of spring as well as first love. The current primrose found in our gardens today is hybridized versions of the wild forms. They are a perennial that likes partially shaded conditions and will typically thrive in zones 3 – 9. Their colors are purple, yellow, pink, red and white. They are best located on the north side of a home or building and are good when massed under taller shrubs or in a rock garden. Their use is important, not just as a sign of spring because they are used as a source of food by butterflies. BASIL We are all familiar with the uses of basil in cooking and the fragrance of this herb is well known to many. However, we may not be as aware that basil (Ocimum basilicum) helps to keep unwanted insects away fro other plants in our garden. Growing basil with tomatoes will help ward off insects as well as disease. It is best to plant a row of basil parallel to tomatoes, as opposed to in between the plants. Also, placing basil on top of tomatoes in a serving bowl on the dinner table will help to deter fruit flies. GEN X & Y GARDENERS A recent survey of ‘younger’ gardeners by the Garden Writers Association indicates that they are just as interested in gardening as their older counterparts. Those aged 25 – 40 years old are very interested in growing vegetables, flowers and herbs. Up to 66% of the under 40 are interested in taking care of plants. What may come as a surprise, these younger gardeners (87%) get advice from friends, neighbors, books and garden centers. A smaller percent (47%) look to the internet or television for help. We should think more about trying to create intergenerational gardens. TOPOPHILIA It is becoming more widely recognized that reducing stress can lead to faster recovery from illness. One of the ways that we can reduce stress is through access to the natural environment. Topophilia, a term coined by geographer Yi-Fu Tuan of the University of Wisconsin, is the study of the restorative effects of one’s environment. It is looking at the affective bond between a person’s mental, emotional and cognitive ties to a particular place. The possibility exits that people may prefer the natural environments to those that are complex designs or provide artificial sensory stimulation. If we can learn more about what are the elements in nature that help reduce stress, we may be able to create environments that help improve quality of life. “It is apparent that no lifetime is long enough, in which to explore the resources of a few square yards of ground.” – Alice M. Coats
Spring is, hopefully, right around the corner. With that is mind, we are starting to plan ahead for what we might like to plant in this years garden. We have listed various seed catalog companies for you to consider. There are specific times to consider when planting seeds in the garden. And, if you are a fan of Smith and Hawkin – good news. Enjoy these and other topics in our newsletter. Please let us know when you see one of the first signs of spring. We are interested in hearing what you may find to tell us that spring is here.
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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
