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GETTING TO THE ROOTS OF THERAPY A
Conversation With Portrait
of a Galveston County Master Gardener's
Few personify the belief in increasing the value of life for others better than Audrey Chadwick. Audrey completed the Galveston County Master Gardener Training Program in 1991 and has been an active volunteer since that time. With the assistance of several other Master Gardener volunteers, Audrey has provided leadership in implementing successful horticultural therapy gardening programs in Galveston, League City, Pasadena and Houston. She also is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston Campus. Audrey has taken the three things she loves the most - medicine, gardening and helping others - and combined them to become a skilled practitioner of horticultural therapy, which is the use of plants and garden activities to improve body mind and spirit. Planting, growing and nurturing plants can be very therapeutic. Toiling away in a flower bed or working in the vegetable garden cam do a world of good. "It's a wonderful way to escape the everyday hassles," she said. "Just five minutes in the garden can heal the soul."
Today, Audrey brings horticultural therapy to a whole new level. She is a leading advocate of helping elderly and disabled patients by teaching them the joys of gardening. Once a week, she can be found surrounded by patients of various ages and other Master Gardeners in a small activity room of Memorial Hospital Southeast. Known only at the hospital as the Flower Lady, Audrey gives patients a chance to literally get back to their roots. Her gardening program provides patients with an opportunity to arrange flowers, tend plants, coax along herb gardens and ignite or rekindle the satisfaction that comes when interacting with nature.
Audrey teaches her "senior students" how to create their own bud vases and press flowers for bookmarks. And, for those who cannot use their hands, she encourages them to use their senses. She tells them to smell the freshly picked herbs and share the memories that come to mind with the group. "It's just amazing, she said. You have this 85-year-old woman who has suffered a severe stroke and can't use the left side of her body, but when she smells the rosemary, her eyes light up." The frail patient recalls a memory of her mother tending to her herb garden on a hot summer day. After smelling fresh oregano, a 75-year-old man is reminded of eating pizza with his grandchildren. He now calls oregano the pizza herb.
Audrey sees the benefits of horticultural therapy first hand. She recalled a man with Alzheimer's who benefited from the gardening program in a way that his nurses and physicians never thought possible. "He hadn't talked in months, and he really didn't know where he was, she explained. But the moment I gave him some flowers to press, he communicated with me he wanted to make this for his wife, whom he loved very much." "I've seen people come out of their shells when they participate, Audrey said. And, while some of the people can't talk, they sure smile when they smell a flower or herb."
Research shows that horticultural therapy helps improve the abilities of at-risk children, disabled people and senior citizens. As Audrey puts it, "Plants touch people in ways that other human beings cannot." Elderly and disabled people who garden experience a sense of liberation when at work. Role reversals occur when patients who require constant care become caregivers for living things. They experience an increased feeling of self-worth and pride in the gardens they grow.
Audrey said by using gardening as a therapeutic tool, her "senior students" experience success, receive praise, feel acceptance and have their self-esteem bolstered-often for the first time in a very long while. Audrey noted that "Horticulture therapy takes advantage of the basic human need to be around plants and the physical, mental and social benefits of working and growing plants to bring about a goal-directed benefit to individuals in a treatment or therapeutic setting. As you garden you learn patience, which in return helps you manage stress." She added that "Gardening also develops focus, responsibility, self-esteem and dexterity." In her book entitled Reflections on Healing, Audrey writes about those who have truly benefited from this nurturing activity. "The exercise and camaraderie are all delightful and I love to be busy," says one 78-year-old. "I like to learn - even when I can't remember the day and time," says a woman who is mentally challenged. "It's a love affair with nature . . . it gladdens the eye and refreshes the spirit," explains a woman who gets around by wheelchair. Plants even help people to heal. A recent study at the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York found that women recover from breast cancer surgery quicker if they spend time in a garden, according to a report by the American Horticultural Therapy Association. And, the benefits of this therapy are spawning a growing profession of therapists working in vocational training programs, shelters, hospitals, prisons and especially nursing homes. Audrey, who often dons a straw hat when gardening, became interested in horticultural therapy nearly 10 years ago after reading a book titled Your Island of Peace. "The book stressed the fact that we all needed to find something that takes us away from the pressures. Whether it's sailing or gardening, we all must find our own island of peace." She soon realized that gardening was her escape. Audrey's scholarly pursuits have supported her personal interest in horticultural therapy as well. She is a member of the American Horticultural Society. Audrey is very resourceful in obtaining flowers and floral design material utilized in her horticultural therapy programs. Two local supermarkets (including Kroger's) donate flowers for her use and Audrey has open access to peruse the Master Gardener Display Gardens at the County Extension Office for flowers. We always plant plenty of pansies for her use!
During 2000, Audrey was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from Bob Randall, Ph.D., Executive Director of Urban Harvest, in recognition of her ten years of accomplishments and contributions in establishing gardens in the community. Audrey is a pioneer in the development of Galveston Bay area enabling gardening. Audrey was also selected as an honoree at the annual "Speaking of Women's Health" conference sponsored by Houston Public Television (Channel 8). She was one of three women in all of Houston to be selected and was honored at the conference held in March 2000. She presented her video "Island of Peace", a Channel 8 production, which was aired in Houston and Austin at UTMB's Sealy Center on Aging Conference. The "Island of Peace" video featured her work on horticulture therapy and was produced by and aired on PBS Channel 8's Week Night Edition. The segment also received a Tony Award! With so many accomplishments to her credit, both personal and professional, it's hard to imagine how Audrey finds the time to garden. But, whether she's mulching her own spectacular garden at home, teaching a student about nursing practices and protocols or spearheading the latest innovation in horticultural therapy, she makes it look so easy. Audrey will be retiring on June 1, 2001, and intends to become an even more involved Master Gardener volunteer. The dedication, enthusiasm, and compassion exhibited by Audrey embody the positive spirit of Galveston County Master Gardener volunteers. |
Giving
of one's self. Using your talents to benefit those less fortunate
than yourself.
