The Educational EarthBox®
Senior Garden Package Testimonials
An overview and very enthusiastic endorsement of The EarthBox hosted by the Binghamton Housing Authority Gang Prevention
With the support of the City of Binghamton’s Weed & Seed fund, The BC Gang Prevention program purchased 20 EarthBoxes to develop an intergenerational EarthBox Garden at Binghamton North Shore Housing Authority. The box was extremely user friendly and produced quick and high quality results. The senior residents at North Shore Housing Authority were thrilled with fresh produce being so accessible to them on a weekly basis, particularly those confined to the building. Moreover the residents enjoyed just having the kids in the building and on the grounds. The project presented outstanding intergenerational and mentoring opportunities between elderly and youth. Additionally, the business community really embraced the project with strong support from the downtown business merchants, farmers market community and such businesses as the Page Seed Company.
— Pat Westbrook, Senior Citizen Advisor
and Beth Harrington, Program Coordinator Binghamton Housing Authority
GROW BROOME
Senior Connection
Research is finding plant therapy has become a holistic health approach benefiting seniors. It physically hones motor skills and brings sensory and visual pleasures to them. It helps to transform institutions, working with seniors, to resemble more warm home-like settings. Various studies and programs, such as the Eden Alternative, on horticultural therapy have accredited plant therapy for significantly improving the quality of life for residents in nursing homes and health related facilities.
Gardening, hands on plant therapy, for seniors in nursing homes and health related facilities needs to be modified to lend to the needs of the residents. GROW BROOME, which is container gardening, is an ideal adaptation for these settings. Depending on a resident’s health, he or she can play an active role in the container gardening or just reap the pleasurable benefits of watching the growing and admiring the colors, scents and textures of the plants.
The container gardens can be grown in indoor or outdoor settings. At nursing homes the gardens could be integrated right onto the residents’ floors. The responsibility for them would probably be best served under the auspices of the Activities Department. Initially when placed there might be one allotted per floor.
The GROW BROOME Program located on nursing home campuses that also have health related facilities could be expanded to include resident garden clubs responsible to tend the container gardens. The individual EarthBox gardens resemble a flower box in shape and size. They measure 2.5' long by 15" and have a self-contained watering system. The most ideally planted gardens contain two types of plants or vegetables that are from the same families. Some of the gardens are started from seeds others from seedlings.
To ensure its successful administration this first year of the launching of GROW BROOME’S Senior Connection it will be limited to four not more than five nursing homes and health related sites. After this first year, it could be expanded to include most if not all the area nursing homes. It is important to evaluate the program’s effectiveness to best serve this often forgotten population. Two major benefits to the seniors in this program are expected to be sustained or improved cognitive abilities and improved motor skills.
Featuring the Senior Connection in this manner will bring a greater dimension to GROW BROOME and an education piece to share with the community that it is enhancing.
— Sandy Mitchell
United Way, Broome County