Residents of ElderCare Network of Lincoln County look forward to the bright, warm days of summer. On Thursday mornings, between June and the end of August, the ElderCare van picks up residents from the “Greens” to participate in a horticultural therapy session at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. On July 19, the participating residents hailed from both Wiscasset Green and Boothbay Green with attending ECN staff. Participating residents take turns week to week so that anyone interested can attend several times during the summer season.

Arrival at the Gardens is immediately stimulating, and the adventure begins as the group makes its way to the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses where the session takes place. Irene Brady Barber is the horticultural therapist as well as the Horticulture Education Program coordinator at the Gardens. Irene welcomes the group and invites them all to slow down and take their time to “smell, touch and even taste some of the plants” along the way. Participants get to harvest plants like chives, mint, cucumbers, peas, lettuce, basil and parsley to bring back to their homes and share with others.

The Lerner Garden of the Five Senses is a perfect environment for optimal sensory stimulation in older adults who come to the garden. Bright colors catch the eye, butterflies flutter and land on visitors, and bees buzz while the sweet scent of flowers and herbs fills the air. Once the group is seated around the table, they begin working on their projects. Today’s task involves making fern arrangements—gathering moistened sphagnum moss and pressing it around the ferns, fixed to small sections of olive and corkwood. The residents secure the ferns and moss with floral wire wrapped around the wooden bases. These arrangements can either serve as a centerpiece on the dining table or, by attaching string, can serve as a hanging decoration.

Participants converse, reminisce and laugh as they go about their garden activity. The time flies by and soon the group must gather their belongings and stroll back to the van carrying their natural creations.

A trip to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is an example of one of the many activities that “The Greens” residents enjoy in our local community. All seven ElderCare Network homes offer Adult Day Services, and folks who come for the morning or afternoons are welcome to join in whatever is happening, both in the home and out in the community. For more information about Adult Day Services or ElderCare Network programs, please call 563-2148.