Tabletop Planting

Tabletop Planting inspires pleasant garden memories for participants through potting colorful and fragrant plants in a small pot or container and decorating. This activity is inclusive for all levels of dementia.

Materials

  • 3 or 4 fragrant and colorful flowers, plants, and herbs from 4” varieties or pony packs
  • Garden pot or repurposed household container
  • Potting soil
  • Soil scoop – Use a hand trowel, paper cup, or gloved hands
  • Gloves
  • *Small plate or saucer
  • Water
  • Decorations – Floral picks, painted rocks, fairies, etc.

 

In a quiet, comfortable activity area, arrange all of the materials on a table. Slowly encourage your garden partner to feel the soil and smell the flowers. When ready, invite them to begin potting the plants. The goal is to stimulate memories and conversation. Express your own garden memories. “I always loved the smell of fresh mint.” “This geranium is beautiful, and the leaves feel so soft.”

Steps

  • Place soil in pot or container, leaving room to add plants
  • Carefully remove plants from nursery container
  • Place plants in the soil and add more soil to about 1” from the top
  • Gently tamp down plants
  • Lightly water – *If using a pot with drainage holes, place it on a small plate or saucer
  • Add decorations

Tabletop planting is a good way to connect to your garden partner. They may prefer to observe as you do the planting. That’s okay. Remember to use good judgment and tune into their abilities. Enjoy!

UCANR Safe Plants List:

https://ucanr.edu/sites/poisonous_safe_plants/Toxic_Plants_by_Scientific_Name_685/