THE HOBART GARDENING PROGRAM GROWING UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS THE GENERATIONS
For more than 40 years, Lyn Kirkwood poured her heart into the backyard of her South Hobart home.
So when surgery slowed her down, it was a gardening program run by her local council that helped her fall back in love with it.
Lyn, 72, has had several operations, including joint replacements, and over five or six years her gardening gradually dropped away.
About 18 months ago she joined Still Gardening, a City of Hobart program that pairs older residents with volunteers who help out in their gardens, ABC News reported on November 12.
How the gardening program works
Still Gardening has been running in Hobart for almost 20 years and covers both Hobart and Glenorchy.
When a new client joins, a group of volunteers arrives for a working bee to get the garden back on track.
Coordinators then match the client with one volunteer, based on shared interests, gardening experience and any particular needs.
That volunteer commits to spending at least one to two hours in the garden every fortnight.
According to the ABC, some of those matches have lasted for 10 years.
The aim goes well beyond neat garden beds, with the program designed to boost social connection, activity levels and mobility for older people.
A friendship that blossomed
Lyn's volunteer is Lachlan Chisholm, 35, who has been visiting her for about six months.
He started volunteering around two years ago while working part-time, simply because he wanted to do something good.
The pair quickly discovered they had more in common than gardening, bonding over a shared love of painting.
Lachlan told the ABC that their friendship has become "surprisingly strong".
With no grandparents living nearby, he says the visits give him a precious connection with an older generation.
For Lyn, the fortnightly sessions have sparked fresh motivation.
She now heads off to plant fairs and plans new garden beds between visits, ready for the next time Lachlan arrives.
Funding to keep it growing
The program has received $400,000 from the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which is enough to keep it running for another two years.
The program, coordinated by Monique Brumby, is now looking for more volunteers.
You do not need to be an expert, as training is provided, although experienced gardeners are very welcome.
Clients come to the program through a referral from My Aged Care, and the ABC reports places are currently closed until at least February.
You can find out more on the City of Hobart's Still Gardening page.
Why this kind of gardening program matters
Many of us have watched a parent or grandparent struggle with a garden that once brought them so much joy.
A garden can be a source of pride, gentle exercise and fresh air, and losing it can quietly chip away at a person's confidence.
Programs like this one offer something money cannot easily buy: regular company and a reason to get outside.
They also give younger volunteers a chance to learn from decades of hands-on experience.
How you can help closer to home
If you live outside Hobart, it is worth asking your local council whether it runs a similar garden or home help scheme for older residents.
Community gardens, neighbourhood houses and volunteer matching websites are also good places to start looking.
Even without a formal program, offering a neighbour an hour of weeding or a spare punnet of seedlings can make a real difference.
If an older loved one is finding the garden too much, a chat with their GP or My Aged Care could be a helpful first step towards extra support.
And who knows, like Lyn and Lachlan, you might end up with a new friend as well as a tidier garden.
