“I tried to set it up for all different plants with different colors and different sizes,” said Melissa Treon, a registered service worker at Quest and coordinator of the gardens.
Participants at Quest call Treon “The Flower Lady.”
“With the garden, we can make an adaptation for any skill,” Treon said. She explained the sensory garden offers an outlet for Quest participants who might not possess the motor skills to be able to plant a flower themselves.
“We try to meet the needs of any person with any type of ability,” she said. “If they want to just tear a plant out of the ground, they can tear the plant out of the ground. It’s whatever they want to do themselves.”
At last Wednesday’s dedication, Quest individuals walked around the garden demonstrating just that. Some touched the different plants with their hands and others even bent over to experience the soft touch of the plants on their faces. Treon said she’s seen a variety of different appreciations of the plants.
“We have an individual who plays with the water hose and that makes her day,” she said. “She loves the water.”
Others enjoy laying in a soft patch of grass, sitting in the sun and watching the trees in the wind or “talking” to the birds that venture into the garden, Treon said.
The slogan for DDCC is “where people grow” and the garden program embodies that motto in many forms, organizers said.
“It’s important to see how each individual has had their own growth and experience through the garden,” said DDCC Superintendent Jennifer Rousculp.
The horticulture program also allows adults at Quest to facilitate fundraisers throughout the year, Treon said. Each flower and herb is cultivated and sold in some capacity. Herbs can be sold fresh or dried. Participants also learn how to make specific goods from the plants, such as Quest’s famous lavender sugar cookies and mint tea, Treon said.
Over the winter, Quest raised more than $500 in its tea sale. It also holds a flower sale over Mother’s Day weekend, Treon said.
Because of the success of the horticulture program and the results the Quest staff has seen, they hope to continue expanding their gardens.
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