Submitted by Advisor to the Creative Aging Calgary Society Board, Ralph Hubele
I had the great fortune to introduce the speakers for the session “Just Add Vitamin G: Nurturing Individual, Intergenerational, and Community Wellbeing in the Garden” at our 2018 Creative Aging Symposium. The session was well attended by approximately fifty individuals keen to learn something about the magic of gardening. The three speakers were: Dr. Sonya Jakubec, a registered nurse and community health researcher, and an Associate Professor at Mounty Royal University where she is the Coordinator for the Centre of Child Wellbeing in the Faculty of Health, Community and Education, at the School of Nursing. Angela Foster, an Occupational Therapist and Horticultural Therapist, who has worked with Mount Royal University’s community garden. The third presenter was Calgary’s cottage gardener, Janet Melrose, who specializes in consulting, coaching, education and horticultural therapy programs.
The presentation began with a overview provided by Dr. Jakubec citing the disconnection with nature that our society currently has, and the impact it is having on our environment. Connection to the natural environment is a predictor of happiness, and for some of us the connection is less than ideal. She indicated that horticultural therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on our physical, cognitive, spiritual, creative, emotional, and social well-being. The Active ingredients of gardening include: connecting with food and food skills, the intake of fruits and vegetables improves if one is gardening, connecting our bodies to the environment by physical literacy, activity, risk and exploration. Gardening also improves social connections, through inclusion, coming to know clients in a different context, and re-discovering our playful selves.
Through gardening there are opportunities to connect generations through mix of abilities and ages, enhancing creativity, and opportunities to schedule things together. The growth in community gardens was also mentioned. From 10 gardens in Calgary, ten years ago their number has increased to 180. These gardens offer gathering places for neighbours to interact and provides locations for community events. There are also emerging trends such as guerrilla gardening where empty spaces in communities are spontaneously planted to increase the beauty of areas. Gardens have also impacted our historical, cultural and ancestral connections through the preservation of historical gardens, development of seed banks, and the establishment of memorial and ceremonial gardens.
Following the overview, the group broke into three “Conversation Cafes” each with a different theme and hosted by one of the presenters. The audience broke into three groups and then visited each of the three cafes.
The first café we visited had as a topic of discussion, “How do you creatively keep connected to good food and food skills?” Ideas included preparation approaches, utilizing herbs, seeking education about food, including residents in preparation of food in facilities, encouraging food preservation activities, eating seasonally, and participating in community kitchens.
The next café discussed “How Do You Creatively engage in gardening as you age?” Ideas, included the types of tools that would be appropriate to use as we age, gardening in small spaces, gardening in pots and examining scenarios that face individuals as they age and how one can adapt to garden in these changing scenarios.
The third Café looked at the question, “How do you creatively connect with others in the garden and outdoors?” Ideas discussed included engaging the City in initiatives, seek out various age groups for activities, encourage beautification of your community, look at pursing themes in activities and initiatives (e.g growing for foodbanks, developing heritage gardens, or pursing organic gardening) and promoting garden related activities such as garden teas or food festivals.
The Vitamin G session was very informative, much enjoyed and has added another vitamin that I will try to take every day.