There are loads of senior therapies and all of them do wonders for so many. My favorite therapy involves dirt. There’s just something that happens when I get my hands dirty and watch the daily endeavors of my little plants.

This time of year I just pulled outside to begin my garden. It’s not an easy task. First I have to get a local man to till up my garden plot and then there are shovels and rakes and hoes that I use to plant my seeds and seedlings. It’s a gift I give myself. It keeps on giving for many, many months. Just watching my garden grow is the best therapy I can imagine.

Karen’s grandson

Time for Reflection

Spending time in the garden is also a time of reflection. I remember my granny’s garden and how wonderful she was at making food grow. Of course I also remember how she made magic with those veggies right in her little Oklahoma kitchen.

I also think about my Granny Everett who loved flowers and birds. She’d walk out daily to the bird bath she had under a mimosa tree and fill it to the brim with water. She had marigolds and irises, calendulas and hollyhocks. Those flowers surrounded her porches and sidewalks with color.

Karen’s flower garden

Senior Gardening

As we get older it gets harder to garden like we used to when we were young. But if you or your older loved one is still drawn to dirt and flowers, try getting some flower pots to sit on the patio. Keeping them close to the house means you can visit them every day and enjoy watching them grow. Many vegetables love to be grown in pots. I have often grown my carrots in pots so they have soft soil to grown nice and long. Climbing veggies are a great way to grow in pots. Just find something they can climb on. It doesn’t have to be fancy, anything they curl their little tendrils around will do.

This is a great activity for your older loved one and the children in their life. Kids love to play in the dirt and will be thrilled to see the progress their plants have made when they visit. One year I planted a big pumpkin patch for the grandkids. It was such a hit! Each one would come over and pick out their own prize pumpkin for Halloween. It was just a way I could spend a little more time with them. Perhaps I’ll try another pumpkin patch this year, although one of the grandsons said he wanted watermelons this year. I guess we could do both.

Last year I planted a lot of tomatoes. One was called Cherokee Purple and boy was it delicious. I also planted one called Sunburst, or I think that was its name. It was a small yellow and orange cherry tomato and it was absolutely delicious. The grandkids loved them!

With gardening you get a little exercise, a lot of sunshine and if you grow veggies — food. I will always remember spending time with my grannies and my mama in the garden. I’m so glad they shared their love of dirt with me.

Front Porch