Ask an older gardener how they got started, and many will mention picking peas with grandma or husking corn with grandpa. Traditionally, elders of all cultures are the keepers of knowledge whose life experiences and skills enrich the entire community. But in our modern mobile society, living close to relatives and in close-knit, multigenerational communities is uncommon, so many youngsters are missing out on the wisdom and nurturing of elders. On the flip side, seniors are more than ever segregated from society and have few opportunities for being with children, and they miss out on the renewal of spirit that occurs when adults share in the wonder and excitement of a child.

Fortunately, intergenerational garden and horticultural projects can bridge this gap, and there are a number of established curricula and guides to help.

Educational: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports intergenerational environmental education and service-learning projects through its Aging Initiative. The EPA characterizes the quality learning as "information rich," "experience rich," and "reflection rich" because the diversity of participants leads to a “diversity of information and issues presented for discussion and debate, stimulating the creative process and opening ideas for exploration." It also gives kids access to living historians – people who’ve “been there” and watched changes in the environment, society, and technology and can offer personal perspectives about these changes. Intergenerational dialogue helps youth “piece together a longer-term view of the environment that includes the past and projects into the future.” See our lessons for this month: Interview an Elder Gardenerand a sample lesson from Roots and Shoots

Developmental: When seniors and kids come together regularly to work with plants and gardens, some of their key developmental needs are met -- those related to belonging, mastery, and generosity. Research also supports the anecdotal reports that intergenerational gardening projects help counteract negative stereotypes and create positive images about the elderly (Ward et al., 1996). Children and youth have the benefit of stable, older role models and mentors; they hone social skills by interacting with someone so much older. And senior are invigorated and stimulated by children’s energy and enthusiasm.

Practical: Involving elders in your garden program has the added benefit of tapping a skilled and experienced volunteer base. Groups such as Master Gardeners and RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) are a good place to recruit elder participants. These participants may have connections to other service groups, such as Kiwanis and Elks, that can lead to funding and in-kind support for a garden project. Community and local foundation grants are sources of funding for projects that strengthen the relationships among generations. Generations United offers grants specifically for such projects.

Photo © Molly Brown. Used by permission.

The Roots and Shoots Down to Earth Handbook offers thorough guidance for every step of the process starting and maintaining a garden program, from assembling a leadership team and recruiting volunteers to sustaining the garden financially and physically. The curriculum, aligned to Virginia’s Standards of Learning, is centered around theme gardens for each of grades K-5. Garden plans, plant lists, and seasonal to-do lists are included in the guide, as well as suggestions for conducting a summer reading program and preschool activities. Read more about the program here.

Author Molly Brown is still active in the garden she and her late husband Dirck helped found in 1995 at Waddell Elementary School in Lexington, Virginia. Their team wisely started small, developing a garden and curriculum for second grade, and soon expanded to all grades as the interest and support swelled. They now have a teaching team of three senior volunteers who work with the students. Inspired by the success at Waddell, four other schools in the local county have established Roots and Shoots programs.

Though the curriculum focuses on the various garden themes, such as sunflowers, the alphabet, colonial herbs, and butterflies, Molly says they also tackle activities that spur thinking and discussion about aging. “The garden helps children see the volunteers as valued members of society and garden friends,” says Molly.

By working side by side with the volunteers, children very quickly develop positive attitudes towards elders.” On the flip side, Molly says volunteers in training are asked to remember themselves as children, the things that they enjoyed doing and that interested them in the natural world. “It’s very invigorating for elders to be around the students,” she says.

Learn more about Roots and Shoots
Waddell Elementary
Shepherdstown Elementary
Elizabeth Gambel Garden
Matthew Whaley School

Garden Mosaics was developed by Cornell University and the Sustainable Agriculture Network with funding from the National Science Foundation, and is now administered by the American Community Gardening Association. The program provides an informal science education format for use in community gardens. Middle and high school youth learn from elder gardeners who share information about their gardening practices, cultural backgrounds, and wisdom about the community. Students conduct investigations of the food-growing practices of the cultures represented in the gardens, and explore the science principles underlying these practices. The Garden Mosaics program manual is supported by free online materials that provide a framework for scientific inquiry. Plus, there’s an interactive component that encourages participants to contribute to a searchable information database of action projects, weed investigations, and gardener interviews. These activities build intergenerational and cross-cultural understanding and friendships.

Learn more about Garden Mosaics