Elder Wisdom: Gardening For Your Health
- IHCRC
- May 6
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa serves more than 10,000 patients each year, of which nearly 1,500 are ages 65 or older. Being an American Indian elder at IHCRC has many benefits, including monthly Gerontology activities exclusively available to 65+ patients.
For instance, last month's Coffee Hour & A Half featured several fun activities. Elders tried out “Obie,” an interactive projector with memory and sensory games. They chatted with their peers about how their neighborhoods changed through the years. And yes, they drank coffee and some breakfast fare on the side.
While attending the event, we had the pleasure of speaking with an elder who's excited about returning to her backyard garden now that the spring season has arrived. She shared some wonderful insights through her years of gardening, and we thought it was a great opportunity to share the wisdom of an elder!
PERFECT TIME TO PLANT
When should you plant flowers and vegetables? Farmer's Almanac recommends checking the labels on plants for their "growing zone." The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies most of Oklahoma as Zone 7. This means that the state's average annual coldest temperatures are about 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit each winter.
Our elder’s backyard garden includes okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, and peppers. It will soon also have radishes. These and most other vegetables should not be planted outside until after the final freezing weather of spring. For the Tulsa area, this is usually around April 15 (it was April 7 this year).
Your own comfort is another reason to keep an eye on the weather! Our elder notes that she will plant earlier in the day, before the sun gets too high and temperatures get too hot.
YEAR-ROUND HARVEST?
Even with the threat of freezing temperatures, there are ways to still enjoy vegetables from your garden in winter!
Farmer’s Almanac notes several other ways you can ripen green tomatoes indoors. These include placing them in a closed paper bag or inside a cardboard box. You could also hang an entire tomato plant indoors upside down. The key is that the tomatoes remain in a warm place, not outdoors in winter weather.
Our elder also had another way: She picked the tomatoes while they were still green in October. She then placed them indoors on a windowsill to ripen. “I had tomatoes clear up till February!” our elder remarked about her Juliet tomatoes. She planted this special hybrid variety last year.
HELPING HANDS
It’s important to remember that gardening can be hard work, with heavy lifting and a lot of movement! Our elder notes that there was a time when her husband would till their whole yard for gardening. She also used to plant vegetables from seeds. But as time goes on, gardening on her own more recently has made her want to change methods: She said that she hired helpers to assist with preparing the soil for planting this season, allowing for her hobby of gardening to continue on.
ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS
In general, annual flowers die with each year’s first freeze. Perennial flowers tend to come back the next spring. Our elder noted that she has not re-planted two types of annuals, petunias and four o'clock flowers. Both continue to return to her front yard each spring.
When annuals re-plant themselves, it is called “self seeding.” It can happen with the right soil and weather conditions. End-of-season care can also encourage annuals to return year after year!
WHY GARDENING?
There are many physical and mental health benefits! Multiple published studies indicate gardening can:
Strengthen muscles
Mitigate stress
Improve mobility
Build endurance
Like with our elder, it may also just be a way to getting back to your roots. “That’s what you get when you are raised in the country,” she said. “You just can’t stop gardening.”
ELDER EVENTS
Our elder said she has attended IHCRC Gerontology events for years. She said she appreciates the time to connect with her culture.
“I don’t belong to any other senior citizen groups,” she said. “I enjoy being around other Indian people.”
Are you among IHCRC’s nearly-1,500 active patients ages 65 and older? Consider participating the many Elder Activities available monthly, including:
Support groups (Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Grandfamilies)
Social and educational events (Good Medicine Bingo, Book Club, Tea & Topics, Coffee Hour & A Half)
Fitness classes for all abilities (Tai Chi, Chair Yoga, Chair Strength Training)
SOURCES:
