While not exactly warm enough to fling wide the doors and windows, it must have been very liberating for the residents of the Gregory Wing to finally have an opportunity to access their beautiful outdoor garden space. Admittedly a “messy” affair, the Boothbay Region Garden Club team enjoyed leading the residents through this month's fun and worthwhile garden therapy project.

Using salt-free rice cakes, two large jars of peanut butter and pans of bird seed, about 20 hanging bird feeders were created. The “how to” involved punching a hole in the rice cake's center so that heavy duty twine could be threaded through. Two cakes were connected in this way with a loop fashioned at the end from which they could be hung. The messy part, of course, involved the “painting” of each cake with peanut butter by the residents who then dipped the cakes into the trays of bird seed. The edible works of art were then, swiftly, taken outside to the courtyard to be hung from metal hangers or from branches of trees. The residents claimed they didn't care whether their tasty tidbits attracted birds or squirrels, but they did say they were really looking forward to seeing their beautiful birds return to the garden.

At the risk of being trite and very politically incorrect, one could say the therapy team “killed two birds with one stone” this month by not only providing a bright spot in the week for the residents but also a bright spot in the garden for our feathered (and furry) friends.

The Boothbay Region Garden Club endeavors to bring joy to the community by sharing many and varied activities with the underlying focus of preserving our environment and fostering natural beauty. New members are always welcome. BRGC is affiliated with NGC (National Garden Clubs Inc.) and is a member of the GCFM (Garden Club Federation of Maine). For more information on upcoming events and activities check out the BRGC website at http://www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org