Okey Dokey.
So back in the Spring, my clients and I started a little garden project.
My clients are a bunch of super adorable seniors that attend a day program 1-2 times a week. Every day the client group is different but the days themselves are the same week to week.
Remember that they are frail and forgetful and again, super adorable and kind. So when I say "We have a garden" I really mean "We have a garden that I take care of for them".
So back in like...May? (I don't know it was like forever ago), we started planting little seeds in a little dirt pods and it was fantastic. I built a program around making tags for the many different veggies we had, watering them, discussion groups about planting gardens and such (being that we live in a farming area; we had a lot of farmers and clients that grew up on a farm of some sort) and it was super therapeutic for everyone. I had non-crafty clients (Manly Men-Men) helping make little, delicate signs for tomatoes and cucumbers and so on. It was super well received by the clients.
Fast forward a few weeks. Myself and the other ladies I work with go about weeding the garden; taking out huge sections of vines and plants, laying dirt and mulch etc. Making room for all these amazing vegetables and herbs that we had started with the clients. While we are slaving away might I add that our clients joined us in the garden sipping juice and giving us directions on "OH NOOOO you CANNOT plant that there!" "Oh, that looks like a lot of work! In my day, we had to do it for weeks on end in the field". Etc.
So now its the end of August. We have picked roughly a dozen cucumbers, about 3-4 dozen radishes, countless hand fulls of basil, parsley and dill, and 1 itty, bitty zucchini. Our carrots did eventually grow, however were about 2 inches long at max; it was very funny to be honest.
We had so much fun with this little project that became a huge commitment and I could not be happier that my clients got to experience the reminiscing of a garden and old hobbies, the experience of seeing the seeds grow into full, luscious plants and producing vegetables and the general feeling of satisfaction when you can finally eat the 'fruits of our labour' (of MY LABOUR!! But it's fine; I'll let them have the glory).
I just think it's so rewarding to see the clients feel excited about coming to program and checking the garden for veggies, getting to pick the cucumbers and turn them into delicious pickles (that's a laugh and a half of a story on it's own!) and even fending off the pesky critters that live near the building.
I think the cheese factor that I feel obligated to incorporate with every post is that I learn so much from my clients. Even if they think they are teaching me about the proper way to cultivate tomatoes or how to pronounce basil (I'll fight the bay-zil pronunciation all day) I still learn so much about them, their past and their experiences that have lead them into becoming these wonderful seniors.
Anyways, all that to say I did a thing. We did a thing. Vegetable gardens are challenging but 110% worth the effort for the rewards (all of them)
-I'll LEAF you on that note.
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