Caring to cultivate on the long row of life: an eclectic look at gardens, gardening, and the aging process

Gardening is one of the most popular home-based leisure activities in the U.S. and represents an important activity in the lives of older adults in a variety of residential settings. Yet, there has been a lack of any comprehensive and multidisciplinary examination of the nexus between gardening and the aging experience. In this paper, I focus on two domains between gardening and the aging process. One domain examines the effluence of gardening into various multidisciplinary nodes that sets the stage for the importance of gardens and gardening in the aging experience regardless of ability, settings, and historical context. The second domain highlights two specific issues: a) gardening as a significant activity to engage the cultivation of caring across the life course, and b) as a way to enhance the notion of stewardship in supporting environmental health in the context of home and community based settings. Gardening is more than an activity it also represents an intimate connection with life itself through nourishment, aesthetics, and existential meaning in the context of senescence.