Have You Ever Wondered What a Plant Knows? (A Free MOOC Course)

There is a really interesting course, What a Plant Knows and Other Things You Didn’t Know About Plants, being offered at the free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform Coursera.  This course explores the question: Do plants have senses?  The course topics include how plants sense their environment; how scientists study plant senses; and classic and modern experiments in plant biology. The teachers suggest that we may even start to question what defines us as humans.  The course has already begun but is still open; however, you will need to register by Tuesday, Oct. 8, if you would like to register for professional credits (a fee is associated with that option.) Find this course by visiting https://www.coursera.org/ and search for the course using the keyword: plants. Not to sound loopy, but I have wondered if carrots feel anything when we chop them into pennies, so count me in!

Which Fruits and Vegetables are Super Toxic and Which Are Safe?

Photo by Evan-Amos Vanamo Media

It is helpful to know which foods are especially laden with toxic chemicals, so that we can be sure to grow these organically in our gardens* or buy them organically grown. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our food supply and home products. Their produce shopper's guide is super handy!

EWG's 2013 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ | Summary

*Fortunately, most vegetable gardens include cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini!

Horticultural Therapy Session Planner

Here is a handy sheet to keep track of projects for horticultural therapy sessions. I designed it to fold in half vertically with the right-hand side up. By placing this folded sheet in the right-hand side of a 3-hole punched plastic sheet protector, I can slip all the supporting material regarding the project behind it. See the second image below. By filling in all of the information on the sheet, I know which projects are ready-to-go, what supplies I will need to gather before heading out, records of applicable horticultural therapy goals, and much more. When a project is all ready to go, I color the star in the bottom right corner bright red. Click here for a blank PDF of this planner.

Please comment below if you find this planner to be useful, or if you have suggested improvements to it.

Horticultural Therapy Professional Registration Documentation

Here are two PDF forms that I created to document my hours and activities performed during my internship as I work toward professional registration as a horticultural therapist through the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). Please feel free to use them.


Internship Daily Log

The daily log is useful for recording activities throughout the day. For example, the following could be penciled in across the first line: 9/16, 10:00-10:30 Setting up for first HT session, .5, 108, and .5 entered in the column marked "Program Planning/Preparation". The results are then tallied and summarized on the hours and percentages form below. Note that neither form is computerized to calculate. 



Internship Hours and Percentages

Although I could get by using only the daily log format form and tallying each sheet as they fill up (which would provide a grand tally by the end of your internship), I find it clearer to have my hours summarized using the hours and percentages form (also shown here). The hours form also helps me to monitor if I am getting my hours in the correct ratio of direct client services, non-direct client services, and horticultural services.

Click on either form to get its PDF version. Post any questions you may have in the comments below.

Iris Total Recall: A Real Winner in the Garden!

The bearded iris Total Recall is an amazing iris. Not only is it a gorgeous explosion of yellow and white in the spring along with the other irises, but it also bloomed in August; and, now again in mid-September! Check it out!

On top of all this, it's proven to be a prolific grower in both Virginia and Pennsylvania. In a year or two, I should have plenty to share, so let me know if your would like some!

If you have a favorite iris, please let everyone know what it is by commenting below. I, for one, would love to add it to my iris collection!

Beets: A Super Healthy Food, But Tasty? Yes!

On a rainy day last spring I dutifully planted beets despite having had little previous success with them. This year was different--I had a bumper crop! They formed big round spheres that, now in September, continue to maintain their sweetness and ideal texture. Perhaps this was due to the variety, Red Cloud Beets (F1 Hybrid; 50 days; Pinetree Seeds), or maybe it was the cooler August temperatures. At any rate, a new problem emerged, how does one eat so many beets?  I came up with this recipe that I find delectable! Now I'm a beetaholic!

Beet, Apple, and Wild Greens Salad

1/3 beet (3" diameter), peeled and grated, grown or bought
1/3 apple, not peeled, grated
1/3 c wild greens: dandelion, lambsquarter, miner's lettuce (Claytonia), etc., chopped OR any green: arugula, kale, etc.
1/2 t ginger, fresh, diced (optional)
2 t  lime juice
2 t  olive oil
8    cashews, raw or toasted, chopped
dash salt

NOTES: Serving Size: 1. Expand by multiplying quantities. Use organic ingredients, if available. Using scissors makes quick work of "chopping" the greens. All quantities can be adjusted to what you have on hand.

I would love to hear if you like this salad in the comments below. 

Pokeberry: A Valuable Food Source for Wildlife

Pokeberry (Phytolacca americana), also commonly known as pokeweed, is considered by most gardeners to be a weed*--a very large one at that considering that it grows up to 12 feet tall! Yet, if you can find it a spot in your garden to allow it to grow in its full glory, you will be richly rewarded with its architecturally elegant branches adorned with clusters of berries that ripen to a rich purple. Reminiscent of grape clusters, the beauty of these berries is only half of the gardener's rewards. Pokeberries are a favorite food for songbirds, so much so that birds may even become intoxicated from this avian delicacy.

In my gardens in both Virginia and Pennsylvania I have encouraged pokeberries near screened windows where I often sit. In late summer and early fall I am treated to close-up views of phoebes, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, bluebirds, cardinals, gray catbirds, and cedar waxwings    Less common birds that I have only ever seen because of the pokeberry are the Eastern Wood-Pewee (VA & PA) and the Blackpoll warbler (or one very much like it! VA).  In the book, American Wildlife & Plants, Martin, Zim, & Nelson (1951) note that pokeberries also attract thrushes, vireos, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, and other treasurable characters of the bird world.

If your pokeweed berries are ripe, please comment below as to what birds you have spotted!

*Pokeweed shoots--not the berries!--are edible for humans; however, these greens must be processed properly to eliminate the toxins.

References

Martin, A. C., Zim, H. S., & Nelson, A. L., American Wildlife & Plants, 1951, p. 392. Now available as a Dover reprint, this in an invaluable resource for creating wildlife-friendly gardens!

Zinnia and Cleome vs. Rudbeckia--Clear Winners!

Freshly cut zinnias and cleome were a real hit with the residents at the assisted living community where I am a horticultural therapy intern. Conversely, the gorgeous rudbeckia were soundly rejected!  I am not entirely in disagreement. Although I allow all of the rudbeckia volunteers to take over my garden; like the members of this group, I prefer a palette of pinks, purples, whites, and greens. Oddly, the black-eyed Susans were welcomed, but we ended up gifting most of the rudbeckia to a staff member who was quite pleased with the bouquet.

A Tidy Solution: Mini-Dustpan & Brush

As a traveling nature and garden craft workshop teacher, I need compact tools that clean up the inevitable mess of potting soil and flower arranging clippings. The OXO Good Grips Compact Dustpan & Brush ($6.99) is perfect!The dustpan serves as a container for both the sweepings and the brush. Weighing less than 8 ounces and measuring 1.6 x 7.4 x 5.4 inches, it's easy to transport. And, its bristles are stiff enough to do the job of sweeping soil up from carpet.

Herbarium Label - HANDOUT

Key to the value of maintaining an herbarium are the records associated with each plant specimen. To maintain consistent information about the plants in your herbarium, a label can be affixed to the specimen plate to complete a permanent record of each plant. Feel free to copy and use the herbarium label shown here OR click here for a printable version with 4 per page: http://www.oldgarden.com/HerbariumLabels4.pdf.   For more information about creating herbariums: http://oldgardensolutions.blogspot.com/2013/07/creating-herbarium-for-your-garden.html.


NOTE: The "habitat" field is used to record the type of soil/climate the plants was found in; the "growth" field can be used to indicate the nature of the plant's growth, i.e., shrub, vine, etc.

 

Creating an Herbarium for Your Garden

Herbariums are collections of pressed plant specimens mounted on archival paper and labeled with the plant's identifying information and collection data. Typically, herbariums are maintained by botanical gardens, universities, and other such places; however, creating an herbarium for your own garden or surrounding environment is a nifty way to familiarize yourself and others with your surrounding plant world. An herbarium also serves as an inventory and history of the plants within your habitat.

The first step in creating an herbarium is collecting the plant and pressing it. Typically, if the plant's size permits, the entire plant is pressed. Obviously, it may be necessary to fold the stem, or remove some of the plant in order to fit it on the page of an old book or plant press. Allow about three weeks for the plant to dry. Thicker plants parts may require more time. Be sure to make a record of where and when the plant was collected. Once the plant is dry it can be mounted.

Creating an herbarium is a great nature or garden project that is suitable for all ages. It is also ideal for horticultural therapy sessions to familiarize and connect participants with the surrounding plant world. For a reproducible herbarium label see this related post: http://oldgardensolutions.blogspot.com/2013/07/herbarium-label-handout.html

Horticultural Therapy: A Complement to Caregiving

With summer upon us our focus naturally shifts to the outdoors. Research suggests that this urge to engage with nature is not only instinctual but therapeutic. In fact, simply having a window with a view of nature can improve the mental attitude of a hospital patient or incarcerated person. The emerging profession of horticultural therapy is oriented around the time-proven practices of helping people use the beneficial effects of nature to improve their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

As any avid gardener knows, horticultural therapy occurs naturally in the garden. The goal of a professional horticultural therapist is to bring these restorative effects to individuals with physical, emotional, mental, or cognitive challenges. Horticultural therapy takes place in schools, vocational and rehabilitation centers, prisons, assisted living and memory care units, and in mental health facilities. Some horticultural therapists provide in-home services. The approaches to horticultural therapy are as varied as the venues in which it is practiced. Sites may have greenhouses and extensive gardens--some of which might be enabling gardens designed for wheelchair access. Opportunities abound for physical rehabilitation, vocational training, and mental health recovery. In sites lacking such amenities, horticultural therapy sessions may involve potting up herbs, pressing flowers, making potpourris, or propagating plants. 

Horticultural therapy activities are designed to meet the treatment goals and objectives of participants. When working with adults with dementia, for example, a session working with pressed flowers might include the short-term objectives of following simple sequential directions, using fine motor skills, and increasing a client’s social interaction. Participation in such an activity may alleviate depression or help a new resident deal with the anxiety associated with a transition into assisted living. Working with this population I have observed the calming effects of horticultural therapy upon anxious or oppositional residents. One resident was transfixed with the aroma of mint and begged for additional cuttings, which she promptly stuffed into her purse and kept there for weeks. Horticultural therapists in a mental health center made the surprising discovery that their young male clients—in particular—found solace in building fairy gardens, imaginative miniature gardens constructed primarily of natural objects. The scale of fairy gardens provides these young men with positive metaphors in a small world they control as they journey toward recovery from mental illness. For some people struggling with mental illness, when other approaches fail, nature may offer an invitation for therapeutic engagement.

A professional registered horticultural therapist (HTR) has completed a minimum of a Bachelor of Science and coursework in psychology, horticulture, and horticultural therapy management. They also have completed an internship under the supervision of an HTR. HTRs can be looked upon as valuable resources with whom to collarborate on assessment, treatment plans, and activities to enhance the caregiving experience. For more information about horticultural therapy, visit the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA; http://ahta.org/about); for feel free to email me. 

Comfortable Gloves Really Make a Difference

There is something to be said for the pleasure of feeling the soil in your bare hands; however, when gloved you can plunge your hands into a weedy patch and at least have some defense against ants, snakes, and poison ivy. Plus, gloves provide protection from the sun. The resistance toward wearing gloves likely comes from the poor design and discomfort of 99% of the gloves on the market. I have no financial interest in suggesting the nitrile gloves offered by Gardener's Supply and shown here in green. For under $5, they are among my must-have gardening accoutrements. Despite the very hard beating I give them, they last a year after which point the formerly flexible nitrile portion of the glove hardens up. This hardening process probably does not begin prior to usage; thus, I have concluded it is best to use one or two pairs of these until they're exhausted, rather than succumbing to the temptation to buy pairs in each of the pretty colors and begin using them all at once.

Rosemary and Rue

Rue, in flower

Traditionally, rosemary and rue* were thought to serve as good luck and was given to those starting off on a journey. A virtual strewing of rosemary and rue seems like a good way to grace this gardening blog.

Have you every grown rue? It is a lovely plant and so easy to grow, but you may rue the day you planted it as it can be a skin irritant. I just can't stand it when I can't grow a plant I love!

(*Also the title of a book by Seanan McGuiere, an urban fantasy of a half human/half fae character; the book met with good reviews within that genre.)

Greenhouse in the Winter Time

Geraniums are one of the most satisfying plants to grow in a greenhouse during winter. In my barely heated Zone 7 greenhouse, they bloomed profusely, much more so than they did later on outside.

Propagation is easy:

1. Cut off a stem that has several leaf nodes.
2. Trim off the bottom leaves.
3. Dip this stem in rooting hormone.
4. Stick the cutting in pure perlite, or in a mix of 1 part perlite/1 part potting soil.
5. Keep watered, but not waterlogged.

Before long, you will have multiple geraniums!

Welcome to Old Garden Solutions--a place to share ideas and solutions as we journey through life in the garden!