{"id":1311,"date":"2026-08-04T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:14:23","slug":"horticulture-therapies-for-dementia-a-conversation-with-fred-from-blossom-adult-day-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/2026\/08\/04\/horticulture-therapies-for-dementia-a-conversation-with-fred-from-blossom-adult-day-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Horticulture Therapies for Dementia: A Conversation with Fred from Blossom Adult Day Center"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fred Ellman is a horticultural therapist and the founder of The Blossom Respite, an adult day program for people living with dementia and their care-partners. This month, we spoke to him about the healing power of nature, simple activities caregivers can try at home, and why horticultural therapy is really about people, not plants.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us a little about yourself, the Blossom Respite, and what inspired you to incorporate horticulture therapy into dementia care?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I’m a horticultural therapist and the founder of The Blossom Respite, an adult day program for people living with dementia and their care-partners. A horticultural therapist uses plants, nature, and thoughtfully designed experiences to improve physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being. While gardening is certainly one of our tools, horticultural therapy is much broader than that. It’s about using the natural world to create opportunities for purpose, engagement, conversation, and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before entering dementia care, I spent many years designing toys, games, and hands-on experiences. That background shapes everything we do at Blossom. We create activities that encourage curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, conversation, and laughter. A diagnosis doesn’t diminish a person’s humanity or their desire to contribute, learn, laugh, and connect with others. Meaningful engagement is one of the greatest expressions of dignity and respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seed of it was planted a long time ago. I had family members with dementia, including my father and my grandmother. It was at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens that I saw, even as a very young boy, how happy she was amongst nature. That stayed with me. Now I get to celebrate that every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Blossom, one of our guiding principles is noticing. Nature has an extraordinary ability to slow us down. Together we notice the fragrance of lavender, the texture of a leaf, the changing colors of the seasons, the sound of birds, or the first butterfly in the garden. Those quiet moments often become moments of conversation, dignity, and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What changes have you witnessed in participants when they’re engaged in horticulture, nature, or working with plants?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The changes are often subtle, but they’re profound. Someone who has been quiet may suddenly begin sharing memories of a childhood garden or the flowers their mother grew. Someone who seems anxious often becomes calmer while watering plants, arranging flowers, touching herbs, or simply sitting outdoors watching birds and butterflies. We frequently see more conversation, more laughter, and more spontaneous interaction between participants and their care-partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we’re really witnessing isn’t simply a response to plants \u2014 it’s a response to meaningful engagement. Nature gives us something beautiful to notice together, and that shared experience opens the door to memories, humor, and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some simple gardening activities caregivers can safely do at home, even if they only have a small patio, balcony, or windowsill?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the wonderful things about horticultural therapy is that you don’t need a large garden to experience its benefits. A few herbs on a windowsill, watering houseplants, arranging flowers from the grocery store, planting seeds in small containers, or caring for a patio planter can all become meaningful activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite activities doesn’t involve gardening at all \u2014 it simply involves noticing. Spend ten minutes together noticing five different shades of green, smelling an herb, watching clouds drift by, listening for birds, or observing how sunlight changes throughout the day. Those shared moments of attention often become conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. The goal isn’t growing the perfect plant. It’s growing connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What safety considerations should caregivers keep in mind when gardening with a loved one living with dementia?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keep the experience simple, comfortable, and enjoyable. Choose non-toxic plants, avoid sharp tools whenever possible, provide shade and water during warm weather, and eliminate unnecessary tripping hazards. Raised planters and lightweight containers can make activities easier and more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, don’t focus on doing the activity correctly. Focus on being together. There is no wrong way to enjoy a flower, smell fresh herbs, collect leaves, or watch a butterfly. The relationship is always more important than the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We heard Blossom is expanding its horticulture efforts. Can you tell us what’s next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We’re excited about our growing partnership with Mercy University, where we’re creating a horticulture-based learning environment that brings together people living with dementia, their care-partners, university students, faculty, and volunteers. It’s an opportunity to combine compassionate care, intergenerational learning, and research while helping educate the next generation of nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re also continuing to grow our partnership with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Pleasantville, where Blossom first took root. I often think of St. John’s as the mother seed of Blossom \u2014 a caring congregation that embraced an idea, nurtured it, and helped it flourish. As we expand, we hope that spirit takes root in other communities too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If readers remember just one thing about horticultural therapy, what would you hope it is?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I hope they remember that horticultural therapy isn’t really about plants. It’s about people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nature simply gives us a beautiful place to slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we slow down enough to notice a flower, we often begin to notice each other. And when people feel truly noticed \u2014 seen, respected, included, and valued \u2014 remarkable things can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Blossom, we’ve learned that a shared smile, a butterfly landing on a flower, the fragrance of lavender, or the simple act of tending a plant together can become an invitation to reconnect. Those moments may seem small, but they remind us of something important: every person has the capacity to experience wonder, purpose, joy, and belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We’re grateful to Fred for sharing his passion for horticultural therapy and the meaningful ways nature can bring people together. To learn more about The Blossom Respite, visit blossomrespite.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your Lizzy Care team is here to help you navigate caregiving through every season. Click “Get Started<\/span><\/a>” for a free consultation or visit<\/em> hilizzy.com\/guide\/check\/<\/em><\/a> to see if your family is eligible for free support through Medicare.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fred Ellman is a horticultural therapist and the founder of The Blossom Respite, an adult day program for people living with dementia and their care-partners. This month, we spoke to him about the healing power of nature, simple activities caregivers can try at home, and why horticultural therapy is really about people, not plants. Can […]<\/p>\n

Read More… from Horticulture Therapies for Dementia: A Conversation with Fred from Blossom Adult Day Center<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1312,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,137,6,168,194,19],"tags":[71,85,158,66,65,230],"class_list":["post-1311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-care-at-home","category-aging-in-place","category-care-planning","category-caregiving","category-family","category-support","tag-age-in-place","tag-behavior","tag-care-at-home","tag-caregiver","tag-caregiving","tag-horticulture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1311"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1322,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311\/revisions\/1322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}