It is important to remember that Vitamin D deficiency is under treated for elders. Many older adults spend more time indoors and have inadequate intake of Vitamin D. While Vitamin D supplements are part of the solution; most people meet at least some of their vitamin D needs through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is produced when ultra violet rays from sunshine meet the skin and trigger Vitamin D synthesis. Elders complaining of unexplained pain, injuries from falls, gait disorders may all be a result of a lack of Vitamin D. We need to create more opportunities for elders to spend time outdoors. Therapeutic Gardens, walking paths, nature trails, community vegetable gardens, bird watching walks, and other outdoor activities and programs will encourage elders to venture outdoors. Spending time in sunlight is vital to their health and well-being. Including benches and areas for socializing encourage people to spend more time outside. It also helps to include activities that elders would find in their neighborhoods such as putting greens, bocce and croquet courts. Settings also include continuing care communities, assisted living communities and Alzheimer’s residences. The season of the year, the time of day, smog, and skin melatonin are among the factors affect Vitamin D synthesis. Cloud cover can reduce the suns potential energy by 50%. Shade reduces Vitamin D intake by 60%. Even though we may enjoy sitting next to a sunny window, the sun’s radiation does not penetrate glass. It is estimated that between 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week is helpful for Vitamin D production. Sunlight is best absorbed when the face, arms and legs are exposed without sunscreen. We need to create stimulating outdoor gardens and environments that encourage elders to spend more time outdoors!
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
Have you ever sat outside and wondered what the name of the bird is that is singing? Why not try downloading the “Chirp! Bird Songs USA+” App from the iTunes store. You can start with the birds you may hear in your yard such as, Robins, Cardinals, and House Finch. Listen to their songs and use the Chirp App to help identify the species, as well as read background information on each bird. It is great fun and something that you can share with others. There is a ‘Challenge’ feature to test your own knowledge or maybe help others learn more about this popular hobby. The slideshow option is great background option, in case you want to take a nature break from the computer or a busy day. A cautionary note – it may drive your cat crazy!
One of the questions asked at the end of a lecture at the Leading Age Conference involved the maintenance of a Therapeutic Garden. The person asked if these gardens require more to maintain than other gardens. They were interested in reducing on- going maintenance in a garden. The simple answer is that all gardens require maintenance, however, if properly designed, gardens can require lower maintenance. A few suggestions to help reduce the care and maintenance of a garden include: Select plants that do not require frequent pruning Include indigenous plants – they will require less water and are suited for the region Limit the amount of annuals (plants that grow for just one season) and include more perennials Space plants closer together so they fill out sooner Eliminate plants that require constant pruning, such as hedges Organize gardening groups to help maintain the garden – it is good exercise and a way to stay socially engaged Plan special events to include garden ‘work’ parties Solicit the involvement of garden clubs, master gardeners and other interested people Hold classes in the garden to teach others gardening basics Create an endowment for the care and maintenance of the garden These are a few of the basic ideas for helping to reduce the maintenance of the garden and a way to get others involved. A good design at the beginning insures that the garden gets off to a good start and improves its chances for success. Strategies to develop garden partners can help can reduce the maintenance burden on staff.
This is the time of year to check out leaf colors. During the day today, I had to slow down to take in all of the colors along the roadside. One of the first trees to turn in this region are the Black Gum trees with their red and magenta hues. Sassafras are a particular favorite illustrating bright orange, yellow and red colors. The brilliant yellow of the Locust trees is almost blinding. The Maple trees are just starting to turn color, so the sequencing of the autumn color display goes on for weeks. This is a great activity for everyone to get involved in. One of the ways is to take a walk outside in the garden and around the neighborhood. You will not only discover a wide range of trees, you will reconnect with friends and neighbors. Some activities include: Ask people what their favorite trees are. See what comes up as the most popular. Take a camera along to record what is found and to show others later. maybe have a slide show or hang pictures of favorite trees. Collect various samples of the leaves that can be brought back for identification. See how many different leaves can be found. Have a contest to see how many trees can be identified. Bring along one of the tree I.D. books or use one of the Apps’ for your phone such as ‘Leaf Snap’ Organize a joint adventure between a school group and elders from the community for a joint lesson in tree identification Visit and arboretum or nature center to explore many of the native trees in your area – and meet new people at the same time These and other activities can be planned easily and quickly. No special equipment is required. Just a comfortable pair of shoes or sneakers. Maybe a pad and pencil for recording the information. The goal is to get fresh air and exercise. Getting together to socialize and share stories is always a great thing to do, especially with this great fall weather. One of my favorite trees is the Green Leaf Japanese maple – what is yours? Enjoy!
This is paw paw season. The fruit is native to the US and grows wild in the eastern half of the country. It can be found along river banks and other areas in the wild. However, it is becoming more common. The paw paw fruit is being grown commercially and can be found in some famers markets. It has a tropical mango-like flavor and can be used in a variety of ways, from fruit smoothies, pies, ice cream to even beer.. The good news is that you can grow this fruit in your garden. The paw paw tree (Asimina triloba) is a small tree that prefers well-drained soil. It has large leaves and fruit and is considered an understory tree. It has few pests that bother the tree so it can be considered a low maintenance tree. It is best to buy container grown trees because the plant does not transplant well as a bare root methods. This is a tree to grow in your yard. Because the fruit ripens quickly, it has a short shelf life. Growing the fruit in your yard makes it easy to harvest and eat when it ripens. The season is typically from Sept. to Oct. The paw paw fruit will definitely help create conversation and it should be a tree to consider adding to the garden.
Reading an article in the paper yesterday made me think about how we have been expanding our vegetable gardens and reducing the size of the lawn. The article talks about how residential developments are being planned around working farms. Well, how about re-thinking your yard to consider the whole area as a garden?!? Why limit the tomatoes and chives to the vegetable garden? Why not mix the vegetables and herbs in with the traditional shrub plantings. How about adding more fruit trees in with the other ornamental plantings. Pots, planters and raised beds are all opportunities for expanding our gardening talents and vegetable crop yield. This is a great time to get started. Garden centers are having end of the season sales. Plant prices are reduced and there is still a good variety of plants to choose from. You can still plant vegetables and have a crop to harvest this fall. We just planted beans and spinach and they are starting to come up. This generates interest and definitely adds to the conversation. There are other great ideas for thinking outside of the (garden) box in the Wall Street Journal article “An Apple Tree Grows in Suburbia” by Stephanie Simon http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903392904576510492421141056.html?mod=ITP_thejournalreport_0
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
August is a great month to really take advantage of the garden. Plants are blooming, fragrances abound and there are great summer vegetables to harvest. And – getting gardening advice for those summer questions is easier with the sites such as Garden-Share, a fun way to connect with others interested in the same subject. Enjoy!
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!
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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
