While living in San Diego, I was a Master Gardener and was very involved with the organization.

I am a certified Master Gardener with the San Diego Master Gardeners association.  I have done work with several committees in the program.  One of these committees is called Growing Opportunities and the group worked at a juvenile detention center for girls.  The Master Gardeners put in a beautiful garden at the facility where the girls could learn about horticulture and benefit from the therapeutic properties of gardening.  My role was that of art teacher.  I taught plein air painting in the garden.  I helped the girls to learn about our individual ways of seeing the world through painting. The girls usually took to this activity very well and created some beautiful work.  Their paintings were turned into greeting cards that were then sold to raise money for the program. It is work I will always carry with me. The Images below are some of the beautiful paintings done by the girls.

This awesome committee was developed by two amazing MGs, Debbie and Diane. The work is provided to seniors who suffer with Dementia and or Alzheimers.  I'd sometimes play music while my MG partners worked with the folks, but I also worked directly with the seniors.  We'd start folks off with a sensory activity.  We would bring in cuttings from our gardens that were aromatic or had interesting textures and this got everyone engaged.  Then there was a fun planting activity.  The seniors loved it and got to keep whatever they planted to take back to thier rooms. The joy that these activities brought to these individuals will always be precious memories for me.