Real-Life Communication
You're a horticultural therapist working with seniors at a care
facility. For the most part, gardening keeps these people in shape, gets them
into the fresh air and helps them remain limber.
As spring is turning
into summer, you organize a planting session for the group of seniors. You
will be creating hanging baskets to put around the care facility. The baskets
will bring joy to those who created them, to those who will look after them
over the summer and to those who will simply enjoy their presence.
It's
important that you give good instructions to the seniors and make sure they're
comfortable with the task.
"Communication skills are very important,"
says Richard Mattson. He is a professor of horticultural therapy. "Psychology,
understanding groups and communicating effectively is important. Being creative
and being able to set up a program or work with an individual so that you're
addressing their physical and emotional needs is important."
This is
what you tell the seniors about the plants you've selected to go into the
baskets:
For the north side of the building, which is the
shady side, you have a choice of a number of different shade-loving and partial
shade-loving plants. Impatiens, trailing lobelia in purple, blue and white,
and begonias enjoy the shade. Ivy can also be added to these containers.
For
the containers on the south side of the building, you have a choice of more
sun-loving plants. These plants include geraniums, petunias and patio roses.
To
plant the baskets, first fill the basket with fresh potting soil. Then take
the plants out of their plastic containers and arrange on top of the soil.
Once you have come up with an arrangement you like, dig in the plants with
a trowel. Make holes just deep enough for the root ball. Make sure to plant
tightly, so that the baskets will appear full.
In the summer, we'll
make sure to deadhead, or cut back the spent flowers, for continual blooming.
We'll water often and once a week we'll add a fertilizer to the soil.
Before
the group begins, they have a few questions:
- Which side of a building is the shady side?
- Name two sun-loving plants.
- What is deadheading?