“Come on, Mary, let’s see how the tomatoes are doing.” This simple nudge to go outside and visit the therapeutic garden is a straightforward step toward encouraging gardening activities that has far-reaching outcomes.

In addition to lowering rates of depression and encouraging physical healing, structured gardening activities have now been shown to impact memory.

In a study conducted in the United Kingdom, researchers found that over a period of one year patients with early-onset dementia showed an improvement in mood and sociability, while their memory and concentration remain stable.

These positive results suggest that overall well-being can be maintained while living with early-onset dementia, using the non-medicinal approach of just two hours of structured gardening activities each week.

Design for Generations’ Jack Carman has found one universal desire when visiting care communities around the country: “Gardening is older adults’ most desired recreational activity. There is something intuitive about it that allows people to get lost in the moment, thanks to the methodic movements of digging in the soil and caring for the plants.”

A few ideas for organized gardening activities include:

• Creating a nature journal to draw or write about the progress of the garden
• Planting annual flower and vegetable seeds in raised flower beds
• Picking and then assembling the ingredients for meals

Structured gardening activities maintain and can build older adults’ connection to the world around them, stimulating their minds while improving quality of life.