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JUNE,
JULY AND AUGUST IS .....
NATIONAL ROSE MONTH - JUNE
FIRST DAY OF SUMMER - JUNE 21ST
NATIONAL JULY BELONGS TO BLUEBERRIES MONTH
NATIONAL PEACH MONTH - JULY
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER - JULY & AUGUST
NATIONAL CANNING MONTH - AUGUST
It's SUMMER and time to think of outside programs such as gardening.
Horticultural or garden therapy
uses plants and nature to heal and rehabilitate people of all
ages and all abilities. Plants and nature can be integrated into
most activities. Remember that plants are nonthreatening and nonjudgmental.
All you need to do is give the plant what it needs and the plant
will flourish and so will the person caring for it.
Here are some ideas for Summer
time programs.....
* It's SUMMER! Plan outside activities
early in the day or late afternoon to avoid mid day heat.
*Maintain outside garden: check
daily, deadhead spent flowers, pinch back leggy plants, water,
fertilize, pick and harvest vegetables and herbs.
* Press
colorful flowers such as pansies, red salvia, dusty miller,
impatients and herbs, ferns and leaves. Don't forget Queen Ann's
lace, which grows wild along the roadside in the summer.
*Keep hats, sun visors and sunscreen
in a basket near the door and remind everyone to use them when
going outside.
*Invite a 4H group to help in
the garden. Summer is a wonderful time to start an intergenerational
program. Use the garden as the link between young and old.
*Pick flowers and make arrangements.
Vases can be as simple as iced tea bottles, spice bottles or tin
cans; use your creativity.
*Collect and dry rose petals
for making potpourri. Dry individual petals on a screen or hang
dry bunches.
*Mulch around all plants to prevent
weeds and conserve on water.
* If you do not have a garden
contact a local garden club and ask them for donations of flowers,
plants or some Jersey fresh tomatoes. (NJ locals know Jersey tomatoes
are the best!).
* Celebrate summer with a variety
of fresh produce. Let everyone taste the fruits and vegetables
and vote on their favorite. Have a canning demonstration or reminiscent
group.
*Watch for butterflies or humming
birds in the garden. Keep your feeders full. Plant a butterfly
bush and provide a water source. Make a butterfly
feeder.
*Take pictures of your garden
activities for posters, press releases, a scrap book or make a
slide show to view on a cold winter day
Summer is a lazy, hazy time. Make some time for you and your
staff to unwind.
Remember to STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS.
Check out these Horticulture
Therapy Sites for more ideas and resources.
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