Meetings:

3rd Thursday of the Month,

Sept. through May

Location:

Wollaston Congregational Church

48 Winthrop Avenue

Wollaston (Quincy), MA 02170

Map & Directions...

Our Mission:

• To promote and encourage the love of gardening, the study of horticulture, and the development of floral and landscape design skills.
 

• To aid in the protection and conservation of our environment.
 

• To promote, encourage and support civic beautification throughout the City of Quincy.

What is Garden Therapy*?

Working in a flower garden; planting seeds, bulbs, or plants; or doing floral design has positive effects on all of us.  Garden Therapy brings that natural world to populations who do not have easy access to it as well as greatly benefiting from it. WGC's Garden Therapy projects target hospital patients, residential senior communities, adult day care facilities, adult group homes, etc.

WGC's Garden Therapy History

Throughout Wollaston Garden Club's long history there have been many horticultural design projects and activities that have targeted groups in need. In the past, members of the Garden Therapy Committee have visited Veterans' Hospitals and senior communities with horticultural planting projects and floral design projects as well as providing those in need with floral bouquets/arrangements.

Club members who have a contact and want to do a program with a specific facility should contact the Garden Therapy Chair,  Jackie Ryan, to discuss the over-all goal and cost of their project. 

*Also known as Horticultural Therapy

Recently, the WGC Garden Therapy Committee went to Atria Marina Place to do a fall craft. Co-Chairs Anne McCarthy and Marilyn O'Maley organized the visit and helped residents create pretty, mini-pumpkin floral arrangements. See images below.

 On April 27, 2023 the WGC Garden Therapy Committee went to the Fenno House for our spring craft. We assisted residents in making their own fresh flower arrangements in China teacups. It was a very satisfying event and the residents and volunteers had a great time.

This is one of the arrangements made by a resident.  You can see  what a beautiful arrangement. They were all so unique.

The Garden Therapy Comittee members recently helped residents at Atria Senior Living decorate their own wreaths. This is always such a lovely event that brings so much joy to the members and residents.

The Garden Therapy committee visited the residents Atria Marina Bay on October 24th to create a fall craft. Members of the garden therapy committee assisted residents as they made fresh flower arrangements with miniature pumpkins as containers.Click on the button below to see our members having lots of fun assisting residents and listening to their experiences with flowers. Residents and members were treated with popcorn and warm cookies. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Residents of the Artrium Memory Care Center were assisted by Garden Therapy Comittee members with decorating their own wreaths. The residents that participated seemed very happy with their accomplishments. One of our commitee members remarked; “it’s always good for the soul to see the residents so happy.”

Garden Therapy Comittee members assisted residents at the Atrium Memory Care Center to make fresh flower arrangements with mini pumpkins.

This past year the Garden Therapy committee worked with a memory-care facility to create collages entitled “The Language of Flowers.”  Senior residents enjoyed using photos of club members' gardens and individual plants as they reminisced about their own former gardens and what flowers mean to them. Committee members also helped residents plant a vegetable/herb garden which they have cared for this summer. The residents enjoyed the visits and committee members look forward to organizing similar activities for the coming WGC year.

September 2020 - Garden Therapy @ Atrium at Faxon Woods

Garden Therapy co-chairs, Jackie Ryan and Clare LaMorte gowned and masked in protective gear, assisted residents in creating fall crafts at the Atrium at Faxon Woods an assisted living and senior care center. The residents made their own posters with photographs of beautiful flowers from members of the WGC. The topic: ”The Language of Flowers “. They also decorated little pumpkins.

The residents seemed to enjoy the activities and reminiscing about their own gardens and the joy of flowers.

Due to patient privacy issues we have cropped the faces of the participants from the photos.