If your senior loved one is looking for a hobby, making a DIY indoor garden could be a great option!
Not only is it something they can do within the comfort of their own home, but it’s also extremely affordable, easy on the back and knees, and something that can be partnered with other hobbies like cooking or socializing in a gardening club.
Indoor gardens are a great pastime because you can work on them as much – or as little – as you want at any time you find convenient. That way, it remains a fun activity instead of a labor intensive job that soon loses its appeal. Advice and information are readily available through local gardening clubs or over the internet.
Here are a few ideas about how to get your senior parent started:
Top Types of Mini Gardens:
Herb Garden
Ideal for a small space, because all you really need are a few small pots and a windowsill. Herbs like basil, chives, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme can add some life to your senior parents’ kitchen. These herbs are easy to grow and require little care to thrive in an indoor environment. Not only do herbs look and smell nice, but they’re excellent additions to a homemade pasta dish or a cocktail glass. Don’t want to invest in store-bought pots? Recycled margarine dishes, a coffee mug or anything else that can hold some all-purpose potting soil will work to get an indoor herb garden going.
Microgreens
To start a microgreen garden, place seeds of beets and radishes on a thin bed of soil, a napkin, or a cloth. Miniature greens perform well in the shade with only a little moisture. They have concentrations of vitamins and nutrients and can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes, including salads, on sandwiches or toast, and in pasta, stir-fries, or even smoothies.
Scrap Garden
If your senior loved one is into recycling – or just doesn’t have the patience to wait for a seed to sprout, a scrap garden could be the choice for them. All you need are the leftover scraps after making a dish with store-bought veggies. There’s something especially satisfying about getting something extra for your grocery store dollar, especially when food prices have risen so much. A few examples of vegetables you can grow from scraps are onions, green onions, garlic, ginger, lettuce, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. Most can be grown by placing the stalks in a small amount of water before moving to a pot.
Terrariums
Miniature landscapes or gardens constructed inside the enclosed glassware of your choice; most terrariums are self-sustaining ecosystems that can survive indefinitely with only a minimal water supply. Do your parents like to travel a lot? Maybe a terrarium is for them because they won’t have to worry about making sure someone waters their plants while they’re away. With just glassware filled with soils, decorative stones, charcoal, and plants of your choice, terrariums can brighten up a living space and be a conversation starter.
Vertical DIY Indoor Garden
If your senior loved one doesn’t have a lot of floor space in their apartment, consider going vertical. A vertical garden is a clever way to make use of a wall space, bringing a little bit of nature indoors. Bookshelves, pallets, decorative ladders, and canvas shoe holders are some examples of items that can serve as shelving to display an assortment of mixed potted plants and flowers on a wall. Another surprising benefit of a vertical garden is that your parents don’t have to bend over to water and trim the plants.
Indoor “Jungle”
If Mom or Dad simply want to add some greenery for their home for aesthetic reasons but don’t want vegetables or herbs, they can personalize their space with some potted plants. The best advice is to select plants in different colors, shapes, heights, and sizes for variety. The addition of plant stands can create some dimension when stacking all your plants together. Be certain to choose plant varieties that can thrive indoors without much sunlight and water, and are safe for pets. A lush-green, jungle-like apartment corner can give your senior loved one a sanctuary for relaxing and meditating in addition to making their space seem more open and inviting.
A New Take on Gardening
Gardening has long been known as a healthy activity for people who love the outdoors, exercising the body and mind while creating something that’s both beautiful and useful. But it’s not something that is necessarily ideal for those in their senior years because of the heat of summertime, the need to constantly get up and down and the amount of manual labor required to tend a large outdoor patch.
A DIY indoor garden is all the best things about an outdoor garden, but with none of the environmental or physical challenges! They can be made while sitting at the kitchen table in the air conditioning and don’t require gloves, special tools or a tiller. If your senior parent is looking for a new hobby, giving their green thumb a go is a great place to start!
For more activities for seniors, visit Bethesda’s Senior Living blog.
