Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints
Master Gardeners Making a Difference
What is it?
Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints is a program that provides West Virginia Master Gardener groups an opportunity to perform community service by making gardening accessible to West Virginians with arthritis.
What does it provide?
Green Thumbs will provide qualifying groups with financial support to help cover material costs for construction of raised beds and/or other accessibility modifications for gardens at senior centers, public parks and other locations.
Green Thumbs will provide technical assistance and support for groups in identifying accessible gardening resources to meet the needs of their community.
Groups will receive ergonomic tools, which they can later use in outreach and educational efforts. Partnerships with other community groups are encouraged. Call 304-293-4692 x 1185 or email greenthumbs@hsc.wvu.edu for more information on possible funding opportunities for 2008.
Did you know?
- West Virginia has the highest prevalence of arthritis in the United States, with 37% of adults diagnosed with some form of the joint condition.
- Gardening can provide not only access to the outdoors, but also the stretching, strengthening and aerobic activity found to reduce pain associated with arthritis.
What makes a garden accessible?
Arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome can create painful and frustrating limitations that affect active people of all ages. Ways to make gardening more accessible include:
- Raised beds and vertical gardens minimize bending and help prevent overuse of arthritic joints.
- Container gardening using wheeled caddies enables gardeners to move their plants to more convenient places for maintenance.
- Pulley systems for hanging baskets make watering, feeding and grooming much easier.
- Ergonomic tools are helpful not only to gardeners who have arthritis, but also for younger gardeners hoping to avoid the consequences of the repetitive motions and odd postures in which many avid gardeners are frequently engaged.
Where are 'Green Thumbs' Projects Taking Place in 2008?
All Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints mini-grant recipients have completed projects and turned in final reports. Each master gardener group has been successful in completing project goals and the results are listed below.
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The Berkeley/Jefferson Master Gardeners put Green Thumbs funding to work at Berkeley Senior Services, Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Master Gardeners built a raised bed planter and purchased ergonomic tools to use in the garden. The Master Gardeners volunteered 82 hours to complete the garden area; 14 seniors participated actively in gardening.
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The Braxton County Master Gardeners used Green Thumbs funds to construct a raised garden bed at The Senior Gardens of Braxton County, Sutton, West Virginia. Thirty volunteer hours were divided among four volunteers to complete the construction. Six residents at The Senior Gardens were able to use the new garden bed.
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The Greenbrier Valley Master Gardeners used Green Thumbs funds to promote accessible gardening at the 2008 State Fair of West Virginia, in Fairlea, WV. The Master Gardeners used the money to buy and construct a raised garden bed and planter boxes to use at their demonstration garden at the state fairgrounds. The Greenbrier Valley Master Gardeners demonstrated the use of ergonomic gardening tools in their demonstration raised bed and in addition passed out accessible gardening information to visitors.
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The Monongalia County Master Gardeners used their Green Thumbs award to construct a raised garden bed at Jack Roberts Park in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints program also helped the Monongalia County Master Gardeners leverage $3000.00 in funding to construct a concrete pad and a wheelchair accessible picnic table. The project was completed in October 2008, so spring 2009 will be the first planting season.
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The Ohio County Master Gardeners have used their Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints award to complete several projects at Peterson Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia. The Master Gardeners have put in over 600 volunteer hours to complete the construction of raised gardening beds and complete a wonderful garden for the patients. The Ohio County Master Gardeners have used the Green Thumbs funding to leverage additional funding from an independent donor and a local bank to build a deer fence around the garden. Thirty patients at the hospital used the garden and all patients benefit from fresh vegetables raised in the accessible beds.
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The WVU Potomac County Master Gardeners completed their project at the Grant County Nursing Home. The Master Gardeners used four volunteers to complete 22 hours worth of service. The garden was used by 20 different patients at the Grant County Nursing Home, 17 of whom had joint conditions. The Green Thumbs award provided them with an accessible lighted garden. Although the project began at the close of the planting season, herbs were still harvested in the accessible garden bed for use in the facility’s kitchen. The Master Gardeners also received a donation of $160.00 worth of plants from a local greenhouse to add to their project.
For more information, please call 800-841-8436 or e-mail greenthumbs@hsc.wvu.edu.
Photos were taken by Gene Rothert and are provided courtesy of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) at www.ncpad.org or 800-900-8086.
Support for 'Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints' is made possible by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources' Osteoporosis and Arthritis Program, which is part of the Bureau for Public Health.
All printed materials are available in braille, electronic format, cassette tape and large print.
