Garden for Life was written by Lynn Dennis and published by the University Extension Press of the University of Saskatchewan in 1994. It is distributed in the United States by Lone Pine Publishing">Lone Pine Publishing
Horticulture Therapy uses gardening, in all its forms, to enrich the life of humans. The first chapter discusses the topic "Life Began in a Garden". I thought the most important thought in this chapter dealt with the elderly:
For many entering the final stages of life, elemental things become very important. These elemental things might include interactions with plants, children, and music. Often, older people in the final stages of life have a sense of "presentness." In other words, they live each day to its fullest, knowing their time is limited. ... In nature, plants such as annual flowers and trees are often at their peak of beauty just before death. [page 9]
I belong to many plant-related email lists. Just recently several list members have shared how excited their grandmothers (I wonder why not grandfathers?) were so happy to be given the gift of a flowering plant such as the African Violet. Perhaps the above quotation explains it. Next time you have a birthday or Christmas gift to purchase for an elderly relative, consider a living plant!
The remaining chapters present many excellent ideas for using gardening as therapy for those with mental and physical limitations. Although many of these ideas have been presented in other books on the topic, each author has their individual slant on the subject. I appreciated the author's organization of his subject matter. The accompanying sketches presented several ideas I would like to incorporate into my own garden in the near future since "gardening on my knees" is now impossible for me.
Here is a summary of the topics covered in each chapter:
Chapter 2: Indoor and Greenhouse Gardens. The use of artificial light gardens is included here. You'll also find a list of plants that can take a bit of neglect.
Chapter 3: Outdoor Gardens. Accessibility, maintenance and designing raised bed gardens are covered in detail.
Chapter 4: Transforming Tools. This chapter includes a chart presenting a list of tools, with suggested modifications and sources for purchasing them. The A-frame plant stand illustrated would benefit any gardener and make better use of garden space.
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