Gardens: hanging, waist-height and in-the-ground are for all ages

Kathleen Anderson

Jill Severn, The JOLT’s Friday gardening columnist, is normally my ‘go-to person’ for gardening advice. She definitely saved my tomatoes this year when I was ready to plop them in the ground before it was time.

This week, however, I branched out and attended a gardening class at the home of my neighbor, Theresa Wilkerson. A nurse by profession, she has been holding a series of gardening classes for members of the Olympia Garden Club. My friend Bobbie Schoss is also a member and invited me to come along to the class.

To say I was overwhelmed with the beauty of her landscaping would be an understatement. The first thing I saw was what appeared to be a fairy garden setting where she grows her vegetables. The gated entrance was similar to a cottage door, and inside were more magical settings for vegetables outside and inside her greenhouse.

My first thought was “I’m doomed”. Then I stepped up on her wrap-around porch... and the next thought was “I am definitely doomed.”

The porch was lined with magnificent hanging baskets which were actually more like hanging gardens with several varieties of plants and flowers in each pot. Each one was absolutely breathtaking.

There were 11 ladies and one gentleman in the class and the subject was “mental health”. We all introduced ourselves and told a little bit about our gardening efforts before launching into the main subject.

Ever since I moved to Olympia, I have been sending my friend, Bobbie, pictures of blooming flowers and plants from our yard, with a plea to tell me what it was. California and Washington grow different things.

Several of the class members have had the same experience, arriving here from other places. We all took turns speaking about what gardening does for our mental health, and the results were pretty similar.

1. We love the smell, feel and potential of dirt.
2. We all spoke of the peace and satisfaction digging in the dirt brought us.

One lady announced she could weed her garden and it would look good for a week…as opposed to her housecleaning efforts, which could dissolve in mere minutes.

Most of us came from families that had gardens, although more the vegetable type than flowers and plants.

We were all of an age that meant kneeling and rising is not as easy as it once was and expressed how thankful we are for raised beds and pots of all sizes.

I learned that when planting in pots most of the class used Styrofoam in the bottom of the pots and then layered table scraps like vegetable and fruit peels next before adding the dirt. They explained the scraps feed the soil with nutrients and the Styrofoam makes lifting and moving the pots much easier.

One lady spoke about the scholarships the Olympia Garden Club has awarded to local schools to encourage our young people’s interest in gardening.

I shared how much enjoyment the seniors I worked with received from waist- and chest-high raised beds suitable for both wheelchair-bound and mobile seniors.

Despite my lack of knowledge on this subject, our yard has bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and the occasional dragonfly, along with the wild bunnies, owls, raccoons, deer, nervous chickens, squirrels and chipmunks.

Two goats will join this menagerie shortly. Goats are the only animal that comes to mind when I think of the word “frolic,” and I look forward to watching them play.

Gardening and all the nature that goes with it is for all ages. Let’s hope the younger generation finds it as satisfying as we have.

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia.  Contact her at  kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.