The SOG Gardening Coach organized a Gardening Symposium 2021 to draw seniors into thinking about gardening as spring approached and to broaden horizons about gardening possibilities! This took place on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 from February 24 to March 31st with a number of short presentations:
- Designing an Edible Landscape by Chelsea Dozois, SOG Gardening Coach
- Supporting Your Immune System in the Garden by Elycia Kellett, Nutritionist,
- Container Gardens with Rob Danforth, one of SOG’s founding members
- Making Your Own Herbal Teas by Kayoki Whiteduck
- Pollinator Gardens by Rob Danforth, Organic gardening Guru & former presenter for COG OSO’s
- Urban Organic Gardening Seminars
- Square Foot Gardens by Chelsea Dozois
This Symposium included horticultural therapy activities supported by the delivery of Surprise Garden Bags before the event containing supplies and materials to go with each Symposium session. The Symposium was organized through Event Bright and after all expenses were covered, netted $860! An amazing accomplishment by our SOG Manager!
SOG was successful in receiving a grant from New Horizons for Seniors for $25,000 so planning began immediately for implementation of the 2021-22 Strategic Plan with Chelsea Dozois continuing as SOG Manager adding Rob Danforth as Gardening Coach to carry out the mostly virtual ZOOM workshops with phone and email advice offered as needed. The following locations were among those assisted with gardening workshops and advice: Bronson Community Centre, Pinecrest Community Health Centre, Connexions Center, Outaouais & Pontiac, Brain Health Group, NROCRC-Nepean Resource Center & Related Communities, Ottawa Community Housing Building, 395 Somerset, Wakefield Lapeche Community Center, OCISO Ottawa Immigration Services Seniors’ Program. Seniors in each location indicated the seeds and seedlings they would like to grow. The supplies and necessaries were purchased and delivered to each centre from which participating seniors were able to do a ‘one-stop-shop’!
SOG has been working on a strategic plan to build not only its gardening programs for seniors but also to strengthen the administration. Founder and Director Margaret Townson retires during this year in favour of our new Director, Betty Weil! Welcome aboard Betty!
In November, 2021 we received confirmation that our OCF application was successful and we received $10,000 to rebuild our website and produce a SOG guide. Thanks to our Garden Coach and our Director Emeritus we had the institutional memory to put the principal workings of SOG in writing for future participants. Thank you Rob and Margaret for this tremendous effort.
