Gardens Grow Program

Two women and a child engaging in therapeutic gardening activities in a garden.
A man in a wheelchair participates in a garden program.
Young girl holding a small clump of soil with plants in a garden, smiling with raised beds and a sign reading "the zach's place garden" in the background.

Individuals with disabilities can participate in many different gardening activities, including garden design and construction, germinating seeds, and growing and transplanting seedlings. Additionally, maintenance activities like watering, planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, and harvesting help develop many valuable skills. Gardening is a therapeutic and fun activity that’s rewarding regardless of age, physical or mental ability.

Special needs audiences can include individuals with physical, mental, intellectual, developmental, sensory, behavioral, or emotional disabilities.

Benefits of Gardening

Gardening provides physical, mental, and social benefits.

Physical Benefits

  • Increases mobility, balance, and coordination, which may help maintain independence.
  • Encourages use of macro and micro motor skills.
  • Increases energy, endurance, strength, and muscle tone.
  • Enhances cardiovascular health.

Mental Benefits

  • Enhances learning skills.
  • Improves mental focus.
  • Improves spatial awareness.
  • May help lessen depression.
  • Improves self-esteem and builds confidence.
  • May help overcome fear, anxiety, and stress.
  • May help lower the risk of dementia.
An adult with disabilities is planting a plant in a garden.
A therapeutic message etched onto a glass window, invoking healing vibes.

Social Benefits

  • Improves communication skills and provides opportunities for expression.
  • Provides opportunities to make new friends.
  • Encourages teamwork.

Types of Gardening Activities

  • Watering
  • Planting
  • Pruning
  • Mulching
  • Weeding
  • Harvesting
  • Hydroponics
  • Exploring light sources
  • Root Vegetable samples
  • Why transplanting is important
  • Differences between spices and herbs

    • Learning Opportunities

    • How to water plants & why it’s important
    • What is needed for plants to thrive
    • Various types of plants
    • Structural supports
    • Photosynthesis
    • Growing a healthy garden

    Click here to view more Building Connections Gardening Tips videos…

    Help our gardens grow

    Help Our Gardens Grow

    Support

    A boy and girl, both with special needs and disabilities, giving each other a basket of flowers.

    Ways to Give

    A group of people posing for a support photo.

    Volunteer

    A woman multitasking with a credit card and a cell phone while caring for children with special needs and disabilities.

    Pay for Services

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    Donate to Wish List

    Special Kids Special Families services are made possible from community support of time, talent and treasure. In order to ensure services remain available and that no one is turned away for the inability to pay, please consider a donation. All self-pay options are competitively priced and 100% of proceeds serve resource-limited individuals and families.

    We accept various payments including: Medicaid (SLS/CES waivers), sliding scale self-pay, and all major credit cards.

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