Gardening and dementia: Benefits of spending time outside

How does gardening benefit people living with dementia?
Spending time outside has many benefits for our mental and physical wellbeing, and when the warmer weather rolls around, there’s arguably nothing better than spending time in a garden you’ve invested time and love into.
But for people with dementia, gardening offers much more than reaping the rewards of their hard work.
“One of the ways to view dementia is like shaking a full bookshelf, with your earliest memories at the bottom and your most recent memories at the top.
“When you shake the bookcase the first books to fall are the ones at the top, representing your most recent memories, while those at the bottom, your core childhood and embedded memories, fall last.
“For many people, being amongst nature and gardening is part of their core, childhood memories which is why gardening and being outdoors can be so beneficial and bring so much comfort to those suffering with dementia.”
As well as bringing comfort, spending time in the garden can also positively contribute to a person’s physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing by:
⦁ Increasing physical activity
⦁ Positively contributing to cognitive function
⦁ Offering opportunities for social interaction
⦁ Providing focus and a sense of purpose
So with all of those benefits in mind, you’re probably keen to get out in the garden right away. But where should you start when encouraging a person living with dementia to get involved with gardening?
Here are just a few ways to make gardening a regular part of your, or your loved one’s, life in an easy and accessible way.

Gardening for dementia
Introduce (or reintroduce) your loved one to their garden
Living with dementia, or caring for a loved one with the condition, comes with many challenges and gardening may be the last thing on your mind. For this reason, getting out can seem like a completely unreachable task, and so a really good place to start is to simply get to know your garden. whether for the first time or to familiarise yourself with the space.
Lauren Frake, Elderly Care Expert at Taking Care Personal Alarms, says:
“When reintroducing gardening to someone with dementia, one of the first steps to task is to ensure they feel safe in their environment. A good first step is to walk them around their garden, let them feel and touch the plants – especially ones with bright colours and textures. This will help distract them and enable them to focus on what they are doing in that moment.
“It is also good to provide some clear guidance around the garden tasks they can get involved in, and breaking these steps down into manageable bitesize chunks so they don’t feel overwhelmed.”

Start with simple tasks
Gardening doesn’t need to include intense sessions of planting and pruning; simple tasks can be just as beneficial.
“Many gardening activities can still be enjoyed by people who have dementia, especially in the earlier stages of the disease.
“As a rule of thumb, spikey or toxic plants should be avoided, and the key is to keep it simple.
“Activities and plants that I would recommend are mowing, growing fruit, vegetables, annuals, and herbs. Feeding the birds is also rewarding.
“Peas are easy to sow and a quick crop, (and delicious eaten straight from the vine), as are lettuces, perpetual spinach, and radishes. Sensory plants with strong scents and even flavours are excellent. I recommend stocks, lavender, calendula, nasturtium, Mint, oregano, thyme, fennel, sweet peas, and common jasmine.”

Create year-round interest
Gardening shouldn’t just be for summer. Nature offers something to enjoy and appreciate each month, and this is especially poignant for people living with dementia, as certain seasonal signifiers can help to provoke positive memories.
“For a person suffering with dementia-related memory loss, different varieties of plants may help to remind them of the time of year, such as daffodils at the start of spring or sun-loving plants like geraniums which herald the onset of summer. The olfactory sense is very evocative, and it may be possible for intensely perfumed flowering plants to trigger happy memories whilst also having a soothing effect.”
In addition to selecting plants and flowers that have an impact, there are other things you can do to help make sure your garden space can be enjoyed throughout the seasons:
Add sheltered areas for protection from the wind and the rain – you could also get some outdoor heating for extra warmth.
Include seating so that the garden can be viewed from a safe and comfortable spot.
Install handrails for safety, especially for when paving slabs are wet and slippery.

Engage the senses
Sensory gardens don’t need to be the magnificent work of art you may be picturing, it’s all about creating an outside space that engages the different senses and helps to provoke memories.
To create a sensory garden, you could:
Plant different coloured flowers and plants – consider things like texture and scent too to engage more of the senses.
Include a water feature – if you’re limited on space there are portable options which can be moved around and don’t require full installation.
Hang wind chimes to offer a gentle sound.
Consider growing herbs or vegetables that can be eaten.