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Seniors celebrate Earth Day with Eldergrow projects

  • Downbeach

Provided/Assistant Director of Recreation Cindy Weinraub helps with instructions on how to create the Earth Day planters.

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - Senior residents made planters for an Earth Day contest by planting edible flowers as part of the Eldergrow program at Seashore Gardens Living Center. Eldergrow Educator Mikkele Lawless guided residents to create a contest entry by creating planters decorated with a collage of garden inspired images. Residents then planted nasturtium seeds that will grow into edible flowers. The planters were then displayed in a group on a handmade hanger frame.

Eldergrow is a therapeutic gardening program that engages residents in meaningful ways - physically, socially, cognitively, creatively and spiritually. The benefits of therapeutic horticulture are numerous and include improving motor skills, reducing the risk factors for dementia, elevating mood, improving sleep, reducing falls, reducing agitation, improving self-esteem and acting as an antidepressant.

The Sephardic Home Foundation provided the original intergenerational grant.

Eldergrow Educator Mikkele Lawless helps a resident plant edible flower seeds in the homemade planter.