Everyone has a garden story to tell. Start to mention an interest in gardening and it seems that people will share their adventures in nature. For example, I was on a flight back from San Diego and had the pleasure of sitting next to a woman who had several garden stories to tell. She and her husband live outside of Houston on a one acre parcel and have a passion for growing fruit trees. The winter was not very kind because a frost threatened their grapefruit trees. They had to pick all of the fruit, before it ripened, or it ruined by the frost. I relate this story mainly because this gardener was even more concerned with how she and her husband will be able to maintain their fruit trees as they get older. They are currently in the 50’s and want to continue to live in their home for the rest of their lives. One of their concerns is how they will be able to work in their garden and care for their fruit trees and vegetable garden. Watering, pruning, weeding and all of the things that they need to do to help the garden thrive. There is a lot to consider when we talk about aging-in-place, especially as it relates to the garden and yard in general. There is a growing need to help people adapt their yards to become age friendly outdoor environments. This will require an assessment of the yard to help people to continue to fully use their yard. In the case of the woman from Houston, installing a drip irrigation system; applying mulch to control weeds and retain moisture; planting disease resistant varieties of fruit trees; are a few of the ways people can help make it easier to create age appropriate gardens. It may also be possible to share the work with neighbors in exchange for a share of some of the produce when it ripens. Gardeners want to keep working in their garden and we need to find ways to help make it easier for everyone.
Spring is upon us and we are itching to get back into the garden. The winter months, especially after the many storms we have experienced, have left us much to do. One of our chores is to assess the condition of our trees. The snow has caused some branches to split and/or fall. There may also be dead branches that should be removed. Or, we may want to open up the garden for some additional sunlight. Unless you want to maintain a formal garden setting, most trees look better when they are left in a natural form. The best time to assess the ‘structure’ of the tree is when it is dormant. It is easier to clearly see what branches may need to be pruned when there are no leaves on the tree. To keep the natural form and appearance of a tree, do not try to shape it into a complete sphere or ball. That is not what nature intended. One critical aspect of tree care is to never cut the central leader of the tree. Most all trees have a central spine that is essential to the structure of the tree. Again, this should never be cut. This will impair the life and healthy growth of the tree. It is better to determine the ultimate height of a specific tree before it is planted, rather than trying to control the height of a tree after it has been installed. A little research will save time and the creation of disfigured tree. A few general rules to consider when tending to the care of a tree include the following conditions. Remove dead twigs and branches to prevent further problems from spreading. Remove any new shoots that emerge from the area around the trunk of the tree. Remove any branches that are crossing which may cause a wound from the friction of the branches when they move in the wind. A light pruning is recommended after the leaves of the trees appear. A ‘hard’ or more severe pruning is best to do when the tree is dormant (winter months). Trees are the backbone any garden and landscape. We need to nurture and respect these special plants. They live a long time, sometimes hundreds of years, and our care can help to make sure that they live even longer.
The Mid-Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network of the American Horticultural Therapy Association was an exhibitor at the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show for the first time. The Show is the largest indoor flower show in the world with attendance of over 250,000 people. The horticultural therapy exhibit presented many of the ways in which HT is presented to the various populations served. There were raised planters, adaptive tools, sensory plants and many other aspects of the profession for people to experience. Comments offered by many of the people stopping by the exhibit were extremely encouraging. People talked about how they were positively affected by their involvement with horticultural therapy while they were in hospital and other instances. They talked about how it had positively impacted family members in a variety of settings. The exhibit even received several awards for display and presentation. You can read more about horticultural therapy exhibit and the Flower Show at: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100228_Flower_Show_ticket_is_passport_to_world.html?viewAll=y
ACTIVITIES A recent study conducted by researchers in Australia has shown that recreational amenities can encourage people to walk more. “The presence of a variety of interesting places in their neighborhoods is likely to induce resident’s participation in recreational physical activity” as indicated in the study.” The study “Associations with perceived environmental attributes”, (2009 Elsevier Ltd.) highlights the need to create stimulating outdoor environments if we want to encourage elders to spend more time in the outdoor environment. Gardens, parks, recreation areas and many other amenities should be incorporated into every neighborhood. SIGNS OF SPRING We have had to endure, what may seem to be, a colder and snowier winter. This spring may not come soon enough for many of us. We start to look around for those signals in nature that indicate that the garden is coming back to life. One of the early signs is to see those little yellow flowers emerging from underneath the mulch in the garden. Where there was once a large mound of snow, which melted the last week of February, several are crocus beginning to bloom. Looking around, what signs of spring do you see? “A garden is never so good as it will be next year.” – Thomas Cooper GARDENS FOR ALL As you start to plan your garden for the 2010 season, consider making it an intergenerational activity. Many people reminisce over the days when they would happily work in the garden with their parents and/or grandparents. This is a great way to remember a special time in our lives. So, plan the garden to include children. How about starting an alphabet garden or maybe a pizza garden? Encouraging gardeners of all ages will create lasing memories for generations to come. SPINACH Popeye was not wrong. We need our spinach and now is the time to get planting. Spinach is a cool weather crop and can be planted in the garden in early spring. You can start the plants in seed trays, usually 2 to 3 weeks before you want to plant them in the garden. You can also plant the seeds directly in the garden in rows. You will need to thin the plants as they emerge and keep them about 6” apart. (You can eat the small plants that have been thinned out.) Be sure to plant spinach in a sunny location and keep them watered until they germinate. MAKE FRIENDS Early spring is the time to divide hostas, daylilies, daisies and other perennials. You may have space in your garden to move them. However, you can also offer some of the plants to friends. They may want to trade with you from their garden, too. This way every one benefits. FEEDER TIPS The best place to locate a bird feeder is to mount it on a 5 foot pole. A cone shaped baffle mounted just under the feeder will deter squirrels from getting to the seed. Place the feeder about 10 feet from trees and shrubs to allow birds to sit and wait their turn. And, remember to locate the feeder where you can see it from inside so you will be able to enjoy the activity. HORTICULTURAL THERAPY The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Association entered an exhibit at the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show. This is the largest indoor flower show in the world. The exhibit won two awards and even more importantly introduced the benefits of horticultural therapy to over 250,000 people who attended the show. Pictures of the HT exhibit are on line at the DFG blog site, as well as the web site www.MAHTN.org BLOG You can now follow our posts on the blog site: designforgenerations.wordpress.com In fact, we are transitioning the newsletter over to this format starting in April. We will continue to email the newsletter to everyone, and it will also be available through the Word Press site.
We lose muscle as we age. This is a fact. As we get older, our muscles shrink. However, we do not have to sit back and think that there is nothing we can do about it. Exercise can reverse this trend. The old adage, ‘use it or lose it’ takes on even more significance. A story on NPR’s Morning Edition today talks about the studies that are being conducted to show how exercise can help people build new muscle at any age. People in their 80’s who exercise with weights, as an example, increase muscle and get stronger. (A link to the story is below). So, how does this translate to the garden? When we are outside moving a wheel barrow that is filled with tools or soil, we are in fact weight training. Digging holes for new plants, trimming shrubs, cutting branches, sweeping the walk, moving garden furniture, raking the lawn incorporate bending, stretching, reaching, and other movements that are good for us. The tools we are using act as weights and we are doing two things at the same time. We are working in our garden and simultaneously exercising in a very soothing gym. The result is that we are all rebuilding muscle that has been lost to a natural occurrence called aging. We are also creating a beautiful environment that we can all enjoy. The garden is therapeutic. We can classify this aspect of gardening as good for our health. The activities listed above, and so many more, can be performed by people at any age. This is the active part of using the garden. We are creating gardens that we can look at and feel good about. We are also creating gardens in which we can exercise and improve our health. The link to the NPR 2-22-10 story can be found at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123887823
There are special collectors for all kinds of items, such as rare coins, subway tokens, Pez dispensers and cow creamers. Well, it should come as no surprise that there are people who collect the seeds from plants. And, there are seed exchanges that you can join too swap the seeds that you have collected. This is a great hobby for the gardener who would like to grow an unusual variety of tomato or other vegetables and perennials. These plants are not the ones you would typically find in plant catalogs. They are special seeds that have been traded to the seed exchanges. There is typically a fee to join a seed exchange. This may be just the gift to give for an avid gardener for Valentine’s Day, a birthday or other special occasion. It is a perfect gift for elders in a senior community who have a garden and would like to grow special plants this year. Today’s edition of the Wall Street Journal contains an article on the subject – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704820904575055181332462128.html?mod=djemLifeStyle_h
February 2nd is the day when a (nearly) famous groundhog emerges to see his shadow. If he does in fact see his shadow, it signals six more weeks of winter. (Even if he does not see his shadow – there are still six more weeks of winter.) It is a day of parties and merriment in Punxsutawney, PA. You may recall the movie with Bill Murray – Groundhog Day. It was actually Germans immigrants who brought along their tradition of celebrating the midpoint of winter. They did were not able to find any badgers in PA and had to use the groundhog to carry on the tradition. It is a day that signifies that we have reached the halfway mark in winter. The hibernating animals are beginning to stir in their underground nests. I think that is how we all are feeling. The sun’s light is getting a little longer each day and the warmth of the it’s rays feels good on our skin. We can almost taste the days of spring ahead. There are a few other signs to look for, such as the snow drops and crocus beginning to emerge from the ground. The bods of the flowering trees start to swell. I saw a few hostas peaking through a sheltered part of the garden last week. These feelings that we have a real and remind us of our connection to nature. We start to look through catalogs and plan our garden. The Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest indoor flower show in the world, is attended by over 250,000 people. They are hungry for a taste of spring – even if it is literally forced. So, take heart, spring is not all that far away. The groundhog and other indicators remind us that we are half way there.
SUNLIGHT Recent research helps to explain why some people feel lethargic and ’blue’ during the winter months. It is the lower levels of Serotonin that causes these irregularities. Researchers have shown that during the months when there is less sunshine, there are lower levels of mood elevating serotonin in the synapses between the brain cells. Depression is thought to be associated with reduced serotonin in the synapses (Archives of General Psychiatry 11-08). To help produce more serotonin, we should make every effort to get outside on sunny days and take advantage of the natural ways that help our body produce these feel good chemicals. CROCUS One of the signs of spring are the emergence of the Crocus bulbs. We may start to see the flowers of the bulb emerge from the ground and begin to bloom around Valentines Day. The bulb derives it’s name from the autumn flowering saffron crocus ‘Krokos’. This is the Greek name for the bulb. It is the saffron flowering bulb that traces its roots back to ancient times. ROSES We think of red roses as the flowers to give on Valentines Day. However, other colors may mean more. Yellow roses mean friendship and joy. Purple signifies love at first sight. Pink expresses gratitude and orange signals desire. GROUNDHOG DAY Feb. 2nd is known as the date when a famous groundhog emerges to see his shadow. The days are getting longer and hibernating animals begin to stir in their underground nests. Groundhog day has evolved from the German holiday of Badger Day. When German emigrants came to America, there was a lack of badgers and the groundhog was adopted to continue the tradition. Feb. 2nd marks the mid point between the shortest day of the year and the first day of spring. We start to see other signs of spring, such as crocus, daffodil and other bulbs starting to emerge. These signs bring us hope that spring is close at hand. “With a garden, there is hope” – Grace Firth DIVERSITY When we plant a single species we foster monocultures. A lawn, apple orchard, cornfield or a rose garden are all examples. The problem with monocultures is that they are vulnerable to invasion from pests and disease. Mixed planting or polyculture reduces the risk that organisms can destroy a crop or wipe out a row of trees. Consider planting a variety of any species. Think about trying some of the older, heirloom, varieties of plants in your garden this year. Maybe you can start to remove some of the lawn and replace it with indigenous shrubs and perennials that are attractive to birds and butterflies. SPRING BLOOMS Spring flowering trees bring delight to our garden as we revel in their colors and fragrance. These special ornamental trees can also be used to feed the animals and attract pollinators. The colors of Flowering Dogwood are a welcome sight in spring and the trees make great nesting sites for birds in the fall. Fringe Tree offer feathery flowers and the female produce small fruits which the birds will enjoy. Sassafras produces clusters of tiny yellow flowers in the spring and great fall color. The fruits have a high fat content that is welcome food for birds. FORCING BLOOMS If you cannot wait for the flowering trees to begin to bloom, you can move the color indoors by cutting budding branches and forcing them into bloom. Branches from forsythia, quince, redbud and cherry trees are good examples to use for forcing. Cut branches 12 inches or longer and cut a slit in the end of each stem. Place the stems in a container of warm water. Be sure to add one tablespoon of beach. Keep the branches out of direct sun and in a cooler spot (60 degrees) until they bloom. Their colors will help remind us that spring is right around the corner. BLOG Follow recent posts at www.designforgenerations.wordpress.com
Even though the temperatures may deter us from venturing outside for any great length of time, there are breaks that give us a short window to escape outside to start to plan and dream of spring. There are chores to do like picking up fallen branches, cutting back the ornamental grasses and pruning the trees and shrubs while they are dormant. It is also a good time to look at your vegetable garden. This is a good time to expand the garden or reorganize what you planted last year. So, on the colder days, we can retreat indoors and forage through the seed catalogs and gardening web sites. This is the time to plan what vegetables you want to plant for the coming year. What has worked well and what new varieties do you want ti try in 2010? Some of the ‘new’ varieties may actually be vegetable plants that have been around for years and just forgotten until recently. They are the ‘Heirloom’ plants that offer more flavor and are interesting to grow because of their unusual colors. There are green tomatoes such as Aunt Ruby’s German Cherry and Emerald Green. The Rattlesnake pole beans are fun to grow because of their green pods with purple streaks. Be adventurous and include these or other heirloom varieties in your garden this year. The results will surely make your garden the talk of the neighborhood. Not only will you have some fum new vegetables to try at dinner, they will make the meal look more interesting.
An article in the Wall Street Journal (1-5-10-WSJ) focuses on the importance of exercise in our lives everyday. ‘The Hidden Benefits of Exercise‘ by Laura Landro highlights why we need to refocus attention on creating a variety of forms of exercise. ‘Just do it’ takes on special meaning when we realize how spending 30 to 60 minutes a day can protect us against a variety of illnesses, from the common cold to cancer. The federal government issued guidelines in 2008 and is developing a national plan to encourage following the guidelines. Moderate forms of activity include “ballroom and line dancing; biking on level ground or with a few hills; canoeing; gardening (raking, trimming shrubs); tennis (doubles); brisk walking; water aerobics.” More vigorous exercise includes “biking faster than 10 miles an hour; ‘heavy’ gardening (digging and hoeing); tennis (singles); hiking uphill; jogging or running.” Incorporating gardening as part of a regular exercise regime will accomplish our need for exercise in a creative and stress-reducing manner. We might as well have fun while we are exercising. The fruits of our labor might just be some special vegetables for the table. Exercise programs also offer benefits at any age and can be especially important for people over 40. The WSJ article references the publication “Fit to Live” by Pamela Peeke, MD. Dr. Peeke discusses how, as we age, ‘physical strength, endurance, flexibility and balance begin to decline.’ Including regular exercise as a part of our daily routine can help to slow the aging process. The complete WSJ article can be found at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704350304574638331243027174.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
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