SEATTLE—Earth Day, April 22, has always been a time of reflection on how we as humans can best appreciate the world around us, and it is also the five-year anniversary of Eldergrow therapeutic gardening company.
As COVID-19 impacts lives and the senior living industry in unprecedented ways, Eldergrow has been adapting. In order to ensure that the residents are still receiving the therapeutic benefits of nature, Eldergrow has modified its monthly programming to virtual activities and garden coaching.
“It is amazing to see how the gardens are bringing a lot of light and hope into their communities,” says Eldergrow founder and CEO Orla Concannon.“We have heard customers say that our classes are really the only thing that they can still do, and for residents who haven’t been able to go outside, the beautiful plants and fragrant herbs are needed now more than ever.”
Eldergrow is also launching therapeutic outdoor gardening programs, a first in its five years. It is offering a Farm-to-Fork Garden Herb & Activity Kit, with a garden tool supply kit, herbs delivered to residences, and access to an online web portal filled with tutorials, recipes, and activities.
“We at Eldergrow want to make sure that the therapeutic benefits of gardening reach as many of our elders—and friends—as possible. We crafted the Farm-to-Fork Program with everyone in mind,” says Concannon.
“The kit is a very easy and affordable way to get started with gardening—just add water and love.”
Eldergrow was founded in 2015 with the goal of bringing nature indoors to elders living in senior living communities across the United States. Eldergrow offers two innovative indoor gardening programs, the Therapeutic Horticulture Garden and the Culinary Herb Garden, both of which include mobile indoor gardens handcrafted by disabled veterans and other adults living with disabilities.
The programming is specifically designed to purposefully impact elders at any level of cognitive or physical ability through the power of gardening.