We are excited to announce the new “Introduction to Gardening” Interest Group, facilitated by BVA member Monique Statham. The pilot six-week virtual program, beginning September 23, is open to all blind and low vision veterans via Zoom. Meetings will be held on Monday evenings at 6:00pm Eastern Time. The first ten qualified BVA members will receive a free gardening kit of tools and gloves that are necessary for participation. To qualify for a kit, please complete the Team BVA Registration Form immediately. Be sure to select the Gardening option in the drop-down menu.
BVA members enrolling in the series after the first ten participants will need to order their own gardening kits. Other needed items, including Zoom instructions and a detailed schedule of classes, will be included in a Gardening Welcome Packet that Monique will send via email to each participant.
With the potential benefits of gardening as a motivator, this will be a two-part pilot program focusing on different seasons. The upcoming six-week autumn series will focus on how to grow vegetables from scraps and store-bought items. Participants will plant flower bulbs that hibernate, with the final session dedicated to how to put gardens to bed for the winter.
The following spring session will focus on planting seeds and preparing the gardening areas both in the ground and in containers, planting seeds, and the growing and harvesting process.
Learning techniques focused on how to use one’s sense of smell, touch, and hearing in gardening will instill veterans with the self-confidence to plant and cultivate. Topics of exploration will even include the use of wind chimes in locating plants in a garden!
Recent studies relating to physical, mental, spiritual, and social wellness have focused on gardening as a worthwhile activity in developing a healthy lifestyle. The popular Whole Health initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in fact, has recently included gardening as a key component in attaining Whole Health.
Mentally, people who are around nature are more relaxed and calmer than in other environments. Physically, the act of gardening exercises muscles in the arms, legs, and back. Eating fresh organic fruits and vegetables from a garden has plenty of health benefits. Spiritually, people feel a connection to their Higher Power when close to nature such as sunlight, water, and greenery. With an elevated sense of well-being, relationships have been found to prosper as well.
Sign up for the autumn series using the button below. For more information or additional help, contact Monique directly at flowergurl621@icloud.com.
