Tips & Tricks for Accessible Gardens - Green Thumb Education Series

Description

According to the National Institutes of Health, gardening can have many health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety and depression, and boosting your immune system. But getting into that lovely greenery can be difficult, if not impossible, for people with limited mobility. Accessible gardening techniques can help people of all ages and physical abilities. Join Clallam County Master Gardener Cathy Wagner for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Tips & Tricks for Accessible Gardens,” and find out how you can make gardening easier for everyone. The talk is co-written by Master Gardener Anna Plager whose circumstances prevent her from participating in presenting. Cathy will discuss ways to create your own accessible garden, showing ideas on design, layout, and construction of pathways, raised beds, patio areas and more. She will show how many features of standard gardens can be easily adapted to offer more accessible garden methods, including various tools and techniques. An extensive list of resources will be included to enhance further exploration of this universally beneficial activity. Anna has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Natural Resources and Government, and an M.S. in Forestry from the University of Washington, emphasizing people in parks. She worked for the Alaska State Department of Natural Resources for 25 years as a Land Use Planner and as the Northern Area Park Superintendent. Cathy was born in Canada and has lived a very active lifestyle in Michigan, British Columbia and Alaska before moving to Sequim in 2015, where her husband Dan was diagnosed with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. The lifestyle of fishing, hunting, hiking and skiing was changing, and the Wagner’s began to realize as we age, our bodies may not do what our minds want to do, and we need to find new ways to bring joy into our lives. Cathy became involved in the Accessible Garden project at Woodcock Demonstration Gardens to be able to demonstrate how gardening can still be a viable passion for people with mobility issues. The Green Thumb Education Series presentation “Tips & Tricks for Accessible Gardens” will be held in person on Thursday, July 25th from noon – 1:00 p.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Avenue in Port Angeles. Or you may join via Zoom from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/93629898830?pwd=UnRkYjdwSGNmTnA4Y2hxVFBuRHVkZz09 Meeting ID: 936 2989 8830 Passcode: 676224 Or join by phone: 253-215-8782 The Green Thumb Education Series, sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations. For questions, call 360-565-2678.