|
|
September/October 2009 The Autumn Garden: Abundance to Scale Every year from spring to fall, Mary Christine went into her backyard garden. There, she tilled in compost; grew tomatoes from seed to seedling, staking them when they got tall; and tented the hedge of blueberries. She cared for each plant, watering, providing it with space, protecting it, and helping it stand tall. Eventually, ripe tomatoes almost dropped into her hand, and the sweet blueberries seemed never ending. But with the summer harvest, Mary Christine was already moving into the next season. By mid-August, the summer garden had dwindled, but her spade sank easily into the rich, dark, fertile soil. While the year’s autumn garden wouldn’t be as big and she might need help, her plans were no less passionate. Autumn vegetable gardens abound with produce such as squash, greens, and root vegetables. Just as the fruits and vegetables of autumn differ from the summer bounty, so do the experiences of the elder gardener. “Some maintain an active involvement with living and growing plants, while others a more passive repose,” explains Richard Mattson, PhD, HTM, a professor and horticultural therapist. Caregivers play an important role in helping scale simple vegetable gardens to fulfill elders’ changing needs. Vegetable gardens serve as a reminder of the connection to the earth for survival and a symbolic reflection of human stages of growth. The Autumn Gardener The task of reflecting on life in the older adult stage is developmentally important, according to psychoanalyst Erik Homburger Erikson. Completing this stage can bring elders peace, understanding, and wisdom. For Mary Christine, gardening gives her pleasure, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment, pride, and fulfillment—feelings that validate the worth of previous life stages. Experiencing these feelings through her garden in her autumn years provides continuity and integrity. Gardens provide fertile ground for personal growth by connecting elders to the timeless earth on which life depends, rhythms of the seasons, the life cycle of plants, and even their own life and death realities. Gardens offer safe personal space for contemplation and caring. And gardens present the opportunity to relax and connect with the earth. Older adults of varying levels of capability and conditions can experience the emotions and/or activities of caring for a living thing. Producing edibles extends that caring from plants to people, giving a sense of social contribution. Growing produce supports independence and control. Eating homegrown produce represents a way that older adults can enhance their nutrition and positively affect their health. “Other benefits range from aerobic exercise, weight control, social interaction, maintaining self-esteem, creative expression, and cognitive development to stress management, meditation, sensory awareness, memory stimulation, and spiritual attainment,” says Mattson. Gardening can help bridge social voids resulting from changes in an individual’s family role and friends or family members moving away or dying. Gardening brings together both young and old to help, engage in conversation, or enjoy. The positive effects of gardens for older adults are tremendous. “We see them living longer; using fewer medications, particularly the psych drugs; and when they have to go to the hospital, staying shorter times,” says Ende. When the garden flourishes, elders thrive. Scaling a Fruitful Fall Harvest Containers scale a garden to size and bring it into arm’s reach. Decorating patios and decks or inside windowsills or countertops, containers can range from large barrels, hanging baskets, and window boxes to small pots tiered on shelves. Containers are inexpensive and ideal for older adults with small or no yards. Pulley systems to the ceiling and hooked metal poles mounted to decking or patios can lift the garden for better viewing and easy access. The container’s size must allow room for plants to grow. Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes, beets, and turnips require deep containers with sufficient depth for the vegetables’ underground growth. Spacing between plants must also accommodate future growth. Overcrowding creates shade, uses too much of the soil’s nutrients, and limits the produce size. However, Square Foot Gardening says carrots can be planted 16 per square foot. Fast-growing micro field greens and sprouts are easy to seed and grow in large or small containers inside or outdoors. It’s important to harvest and reseed regularly to keep greens available for salads. Lettuces do not require deep containers for their roots but do need space between plants. Pots need drainage, and water shouldn’t be permitted to stand in a floor-protecting saucer because wet roots will rot. Keeping a watering calendar or log helps to prevent overwatering. Dryness in the top 1⁄2 inch of the soil is the best indicator of watering needs. Potting soil—compost, peat moss, and vermiculite—is recommended. It provides the necessary plant nutrients and keeps the weight of the pots relatively light. Aromatic and tactile variations among plants stimulate the senses. Herbs can grow year-round on sunny windowsills. Combining ruffled parsley, woody rosemary, leafy sage, creeping thyme, and oregano creates salt-free flavor. Create visual contrasts with texture and color. Imagine low-growing, leafy butter lettuce planted with red kale, lacy-topped carrots, and tall-growing, dark, sturdy collard greens. Blue, violet, and green can be harder to distinguish with age. Even large-handled tools should be brightly colored for older adult use. Community Caring: Harvesting Abundance In addition to books and gardening magazines, libraries often have free Internet access and seasonal workshops. Keeping a gardening journal offers a creative way to document experiences, learn from them, and improve techniques for the next year. Volunteers from educational, religious, and environmental groups are often willing to help, and sometimes college students seek experience. Master gardeners, horticultural therapists, and other professionals often share their knowledge and skills with gardening groups. Ende says offering to do everything for elders defeats the purpose of gardening activities. Effective gardening allows older adults to care for the garden with assistance only when necessary. It’s also important for assistants to share elders’ cares. This can take the form of helping to water plants if the individual can’t or allowing the elder to take a personal interest in others. Roasted Root Vegetables — Libby Mills, MS, RD, LDN, is a speaker and an author.
Autumn Vegetables Aromatic Herbs Leafy Greens Root Vegetables Sturdy Greens Squash |
   
|
|||||||
 Great Valley Publishing Co., Inc.3801 Schuykill Road Spring City, PA 19475 |
Copyright © 2009 Publishers of AgingWell All rights reserved. |
Contact About Us Writers' Guidelines |