Could the recent Garden Therapy craft choice be more appropriate to this particularly snowy winter season?

Several members of the BRGC Garden Therapy team gathered at the Gregory Wing of St. Andrews Village last week to guide residents through the creation of woodland cloches as their first craft session of 2018. A cloche, for the uninitiated, is defined as a small translucent cover for protecting or forcing outdoor plants, but in this adaptation they seemed to serve more as tiny microcosms of our current outdoor environment. A collection of miniature squirrels, bright red cardinals and even one lonely fox were encapsulated in magical wintry scenes complete with tiny fir trees and itty bitty snowmen for all to enjoy from the comfort of warm surroundings.

The team provided 18 plastic hanging cloches, each with a screw off base. Residents chose little figures to include in their cloche and the team assisted them in covering the inner base with white felt to simulate snow. Next, the diminutive figures were attached to the base and silvery snowflakes and very tiny white balls were spooned into the inverted elongated domes which had been treated with a light adhesive allowing for some of the "snow" to adhere to the top and sides. The bases were then carefully screwed into the domes and turned right side up creating an enchanting snow globe effect. The final touches included the addition of sparkly self stick ribbon in red or blue to cover the outside edge of the base and a silver cord strung through a ring at the top to provide a hanging option. The "crafters in residence," including participants from Safe Havens, were able to take their creations back to their rooms while extras were distributed among others throughout the facility.

For the residents of the Gregory Wing and Safe Havens, garden therapy is not just an opportunity to engage in a tactile exercise but also a chance to socialize and feel a sense of accomplishment for their efforts. On good authority, the group also enjoys being photographed knowing they may appear in the Boothbay Register!

For information on how you can become involved in Garden Club activities that benefit the community check out the BRGC website at http://www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org/. The BRGC is affiliated with NGC (National Garden Clubs Inc.) and is a member of the GCFM (Garden Club Federation of Maine).