For many people, working and spending time in the garden is more than just relaxing, it is also therapeutic.
That’s the thought behind a gardening program at a nursing home in Antigonish, where residents can grow and enjoy food from their backyard.
“People enjoy that connection to nature, just that connection to everyday life, to meaningful activities,” says horticultural therapist Mary Partridge. “We have work to do when we come out here and our day, our program planning, especially this time of year, is really determined by what needs to be done in the garden.”
There is always something that needs to be done in the garden at the R.K. MacDonald nursing home. Resident Bob Dickinson is recognized as the house expert on tomatoes.
“When the first blossom comes on, I’d come out to prune them and I have and I’ve kept pruning them since and there’s a good crop of tomatoes there,” says Dickinson.
For some, this is the first time they have ever tried to grow a garden and for others, it is a welcome chance to use the skills they developed over the years in family gardens.
“I grew up with it, had one of my own every single year,” says resident Margaret Bowie.
There are even a few fruit trees, ripe for the picking.
Much of what’s picked outside, such as tomatoes and peppers, ends up in the kitchen for salads and snacks. However, the garden is much more than just a source of food.
“I come out here with my walker…just drink in the sights,” says Bowie.
“Some people may want to be more involved with the hands-on part of the garden, some people just want to come out and walk in the garden and enjoy the smells and sights. So, it can be, it is for everyone,” says Partridge.
The success of the garden continues to grow along with the vegetables and they are hoping for a modest expansion in time for next spring.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
