Green Thumbs & Gray Hair,
Senior Gardening as Therapy
written by Hank Bruce & Tomi Jill Folk
Scheduled for release in Spring 2015
The garden isn’t about the plants, it’s about the people. This is a simple
truth, but often overlooked. In this book we explore a lot of good reasons for senior citizens to spend time with plants. This isn’t an effort to lock today’s elders into a garden full of yesterday’s memories. They tell us the goal of this book is to empower, and give senior citizens permission to envision something new, to be creative.
Seniors are a treasure trove of wisdom and experience, a resource for a better tomorrow. Just because one is aging doesn’t mean there is no need, or interest, in learning. The garden is a multidimensional canvas for the senior gardener to not only try something new, but lead the way in creating new paradigms for tomorrow’s garden as well. This book discusses several communities where groups of senior citizens are doing just that. They are helping to design a new kind of community garden, accessible, inviting, celebrating beauty, nourishing the spirit as well as the body and providing an antidote to stress. Their vision is gradually redefining the concept of the healing garden as it redesigns the garden to be a place where we can cultivate a sense of community, a place to share stories, learn and teach.
As a culture, we too often fail to appreciate the traditional role of the
elder as a significant resource of the next generation. The elders in the garden can be far better teachers than the TV, the shopping mall or the video games.
This text focuses on senior citizens, both those living at home and those
living in senior communities. The first chapter, Seniors Gardening for
Health, discusses the potential the garden has to promote overall health and improve quality of life for people of every age and the families and communities as well. Another chapter, Alzheimer’s with a Green Thumb explores the ways that gardening, plants and related activities can be incredibly beneficial to those with memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Another chapter is devoted to the value of healing gardens in hospitals, rehab centers and senior care communities. It also discusses some new ways of using these special gardens for both active and passive experiences.
This unique little book was written for senior gardeners, family members and family caregivers, activity professionals, master gardeners, healthcare professionals, governmental agencies, community & faith-based organizations
and others who share at least a part of their life with "the old folks." This is a fact filled book packed with ideas that can be used to empower, improve overall health and provide a better quality of life for elders everywhere.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Seniors Gardening for Health
Chapter 2 Gardening as Therapy
Chapter 3 The Healing Garden
Chapter 4 Trapped in a Box Called the Past
Chapter 5 Empowerment and Creativity Grow in the Garden
Chapter 6 Special Considerations for Senior Gardeners
Chapter 7 Designing and Implementing a Therapeutic Gardening Program
Chapter 8 What Can Happen When We Think, Work and Play Together in the Garden
Chapter 9 When We Can’t get Our Hands Dirty
Chapter 10 Gardeners Live Longer
Scheduled for release in Spring 2015
The garden isn’t about the plants, it’s about the people. This is a simple
truth, but often overlooked. In this book we explore a lot of good reasons for senior citizens to spend time with plants. This isn’t an effort to lock today’s elders into a garden full of yesterday’s memories. They tell us the goal of this book is to empower, and give senior citizens permission to envision something new, to be creative.
Seniors are a treasure trove of wisdom and experience, a resource for a better tomorrow. Just because one is aging doesn’t mean there is no need, or interest, in learning. The garden is a multidimensional canvas for the senior gardener to not only try something new, but lead the way in creating new paradigms for tomorrow’s garden as well. This book discusses several communities where groups of senior citizens are doing just that. They are helping to design a new kind of community garden, accessible, inviting, celebrating beauty, nourishing the spirit as well as the body and providing an antidote to stress. Their vision is gradually redefining the concept of the healing garden as it redesigns the garden to be a place where we can cultivate a sense of community, a place to share stories, learn and teach.
As a culture, we too often fail to appreciate the traditional role of the
elder as a significant resource of the next generation. The elders in the garden can be far better teachers than the TV, the shopping mall or the video games.
This text focuses on senior citizens, both those living at home and those
living in senior communities. The first chapter, Seniors Gardening for
Health, discusses the potential the garden has to promote overall health and improve quality of life for people of every age and the families and communities as well. Another chapter, Alzheimer’s with a Green Thumb explores the ways that gardening, plants and related activities can be incredibly beneficial to those with memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Another chapter is devoted to the value of healing gardens in hospitals, rehab centers and senior care communities. It also discusses some new ways of using these special gardens for both active and passive experiences.
This unique little book was written for senior gardeners, family members and family caregivers, activity professionals, master gardeners, healthcare professionals, governmental agencies, community & faith-based organizations
and others who share at least a part of their life with "the old folks." This is a fact filled book packed with ideas that can be used to empower, improve overall health and provide a better quality of life for elders everywhere.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Seniors Gardening for Health
Chapter 2 Gardening as Therapy
Chapter 3 The Healing Garden
Chapter 4 Trapped in a Box Called the Past
Chapter 5 Empowerment and Creativity Grow in the Garden
Chapter 6 Special Considerations for Senior Gardeners
Chapter 7 Designing and Implementing a Therapeutic Gardening Program
Chapter 8 What Can Happen When We Think, Work and Play Together in the Garden
Chapter 9 When We Can’t get Our Hands Dirty
Chapter 10 Gardeners Live Longer