Cultivating Companions

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.”

— Winnie-the-Pooh

Last year, our Jackson County Master Gardener Coordinator, Grace Florjancic read that isolated older adults who have few to no friends or close family members, tend to experience more health problems and depression. Wanting to address this issue, she and Master Gardener Kendyl Berkowitz (class of 2023) joined forces to write a grant application. They were awarded the Rural Older Adult Mini Grant from the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health.

Grace and Kendyl used the grant to create classes for older adults in the Jackson County community. These classes are based around simple indoor gardening projects, and provide participants with opportunities to socialize while completing the day’s project.

The 2024 classes were held in local libraries and were taught by the following JCMGA Master Gardeners:

​Kelli Loux, Louise Parker, David Gremmels, and Gayle Reed in Medford

Chris Veach and Grace Florjancic in Shady Cove

Connie Lyssand, Tina Elliot, and Blake Elliot in Ruch

Barbara Low, Bruce Millbank, Cathy Millbank, and Liv Schneider in Rogue River

Margie Dode and Grace Florjancic in Butte Falls and Eagle Point

 

This year there was enough money left in the grant to also offer the classes in Talent and Gold Hill. Katrina van der Linden, Maggi Laurel, and Eve Thornton were the Talent instructors; Erin Galbraith and Jane Moyer taught in Gold Hill.

 

The classes taught included the following:

Week 1: Introductions

Discussion of class purpose

Aging and loneliness resources available

Repotting houseplants

Care of houseplants​

Participants received a small grow light to take home

Week 2: Introduction (review) 

Discussion on how participants’ houseplants are doing

Plant propagation (stem and leaf cuttings)

Discussion of plant cuttings by the pioneers

Discussion of experiences with plant propagation

Week 3: Introduction (review)

Discussion of art projects done using nature

Plant poetry (Mad Lib and Acrostic poems)

Discussion of floral design

Creating a simple bud vase arrangement to take home

Week 4: Introduction (review)

Discussion of food plants that can be grown indoors

Discussion on gardening adaptations made to accommodate aging

Discussion of micro-greens and their benefits

Planting a container of micro-greens to take home

Planting a container of herbs from seeds to take home

Discussion of how to care for houseplants

Week 5: Introduction (review)

Discussion of how micro-greens are doing

How to press flowers

Making a bookmark and a see-through picture frame with pressed flowers

Week 6: Introduction (review)

Discussion about using pesticides safely (IPM) and the JCMGA Plant Clinic

Discussion of how to identify and treat houseplant pests

Participants received yellow sticky traps and a hand lens to take home

Week 7: Introduction (review)

Discussion of who has herbs sprouting from Week 5 and/or growing outside

Discussion of various methods for drying herbs

Making bundles of herbs to take home to hang and dry

Tea party (The tea was made using herbs and plenty of honey tocelebrate our n     ew friends.)

Participants received a souvenir mug to take home

How to find out about classes offered by Master Gardeners (JCMGA website)

Planning for how to stay in touch

The participants enjoyed themselves, and said they had learned a lot about gardening indoors while making new friends. A side benefit for JCMGA was that Erin Galbraith, who had accompanied her mother to the class in 2024, decided to take the 2025 Master Gardener class and has become very active in the association. In fact, she was elected to the JCMGA Board of Directors as representative from the class of 2025 and reelected as a member at large for 2026.   She has also become quite active in many working groups.

Here’s to another successful season of Cultivating Companions!