Salud y Bienestar a través de la jardinería en el lugar
Los jardineros de todo el mundo han oído hablar de los beneficios para la salud física y mental de la jardinería, y para las personas mayores, esas recompensas son aún más importantes. Las investigaciones muestran que la jardinería alivia el estrés, aumenta los niveles de serotonina, estimula el sistema inmunológico, es un buen ejercicio y puede reducir el riesgo de demencia. De hecho, estar en la naturaleza y disfrutar de las plantas también tiene muchos beneficios.
When gardening is incorporated into senior living facilities, it creates community, offers connection, and provides comfort. For one, if gardening was a pastime that residents previously enjoyed, they don’t have to give that up. Seniors can still enjoy their “beautiful home” garden and atmosphere that they may have spent many years creating. The growing of food to share offers a sense of accomplishment, work, and contribution that improves morale. Community gardens allow the residents to come together and do something they enjoy. They can continue with a treasured hobby and also make new friendships and stay connected to other residents.
Las camas altas elevadas de Durable GreenBed son accesibles, duraderas y fáciles de mantener
Los creadores de Durable GreenBeds se dedican a mantener la jardinería manejable para las personas mayores. Recientemente se instalaron varios Durable GreenBeds en una residencia para personas mayores en Pensilvania, y los residentes están listos para disfrutar de una colorida temporada de cultivo gracias a ello.
Fred DeAntonis vive en Kirkland Village en Pensilvania, que es una CCRC, o comunidad de retiro de cuidados continuos. Esto significa que tiene de todo, desde apartamentos de vida independiente hasta enfermería especializada, cuidado de la memoria y cuidado personal. Kirkland Village anteriormente tenía un jardín en los terrenos, pero debido a una nueva construcción reciente, esas camas de jardín tuvieron que ser reubicadas. DeAntonis es el presidente del comité de jardinería y dice que comenzó a pensar en qué ayudaría a que la jardinería fuera más accesible para los demás residentes. Como DeAntonis tenía experiencia en jardinería, sabía lo que creía que funcionaría mejor.
“I started thinking that it would be easier for some of the people to not have to bend down so much and still be able to garden by using raised beds,” he says. “And I also wanted something that would last a long time, so I started looking for raised beds online.” He found the Durable GreenBed website, and brought the idea to the resident gardening committee.
Ventajas de los kits completos de jardineras
The committee liked that Durable GreenBeds are made from recycled materials and the fact that they’re long lasting and usable for years, without having to worry about replacing them. “Garden beds are usually made out of wood and they don’t last very long,” DeAntonis says, “and the price point was reasonable, it was within what we wanted to spend.”<
Not only that, but DeAntonis says Durable GreenBed owner Tom van Denend was helpful at every step along the way. And, the raised garden bed kits proved to be easy to install with “no particular skills” and nothing more than a power drill, a mallet, and a level. The group purchased three of the 4×8-foot beds and three of the 4×4-foot beds. They were delivered and installed last November. “That’s a good time to do it because then you can put in most of the material that you want to fill them with and they get a chance to winterize,” DeAntonis says.
Opciones de suelo para camas de jardín elevadas y profundas
Given the nearly two-foot depth of these beds, at 22 inches high, filling them with nothing but topsoil wouldn’t be wise. Tom told DeAntonis about enormecultura y el comité de jardinería tomó ese consejo. Hugelkulture es un método de jardinería antiguo, probado y verdadero, comúnmente practicado por las culturas germánicas. Las camas Hugelkulture necesitan menos agua, ya que el material leñoso absorbe agua y libera muy lentamente la humedad. Crea un suelo rico a medida que la madera se descompone lentamente. La madera en descomposición también produce calor, lo que calienta las camas más rápido.
“We put in branches and all kinds of scrap wood in the bottom half of the boxes and surrounded them with mushroom soil, and then put some more soil on, and left it that way over the winter,” DeAntonis says.
Esta primavera, cuando el clima comenzó a calentarse, cubrieron todo con unas pocas pulgadas de buena tierra vegetal y lo mezclaron todo. Los residentes ya han plantado algunos cultivos de principios de primavera, como guisantes y lechugas, y ahora están agregando más plantas a los canteros.
Agregar verduras a un jardín elevado para personas mayores
Prior to the new garden beds, Kirkland Village had some garden beds strictly for flowers, which were made from pressure treated wood. “And, you know, they’re not as attractive and they’re actually more expensive when you factor in long term durability,” DeAntonis says. Kirkland Village has an active flower committee, which makes flower arrangements for the community out of the flowers they grow. At least one of the new beds will be planted with flowers, while others will be planted with vegetables.
DeAntonis has lived at Kirkland Village for three and a half years. Although he enjoyed gardening at his home, he will not miss the rototilling and all of the other maintenance that came with it. Van Denend, through Durable GreenBed, is so committed to maintaining gardening as an activity for older residents that he offers volume discounts on Durable GreenBeds to communities building larger gardens, like Kirkland Village. Ready to look at the durable raised garden beds for seniors that will bring gardening to your senior center? Learn more about Durable GreenBeds for jardines del centro de mayores.