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This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the impact of indoor gardening on elderly residents of a low-income assisted living facility over a 4-week period. Mastery, self-rated health, and self-rated happiness were pre-, post-, and post-post measured to evaluate whether a short-term introduction of indoor gardening that involved individual plant-care responsibility would improve these measures that are predictive of health and quality of life. Eighteen residents participated in four 2-hour interactive horticulture classes taught by a social horticulturist and a sociologist. Class members showed a significant increase in mastery, self-rated health, and self-rated happiness. The results of this study indicate that a basic horticultural activity, as simple as learning how to maintain a houseplant and taking individual responsibility for one, can have a short-term positive impact on the quality of life and on primary indicators of future health outcomes of older adults residing in assisted living facilities.

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An important element of the social horticulture program at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has been the creation of school gardens to enhance educational efforts for children in Las Vegas. Since 2002, a variety of methods has been employed to train teachers and administrators in using gardens, and this has resulted in establishment of successful gardening programs. Southern Nevada has experienced a 400% population increase in 25 years. Results of surveys of area stakeholders between 2000 and 2002, Clark County elementary school staff in 2001, and Clark County school principals in 2004, indicate a desire to incorporate gardens in schools, but concerns about establishing and maintaining them persist. Furthermore, apprehension about trying to garden under challenging climatic conditions characteristic of the Mojave Desert is expressed frequently, as is hesitation about using gardens to enhance the school curriculum in at-risk schools. When offered training in use of gardens, however, a majority of principals surveyed responded positively. They also expressed interest in tracking the educational and social impacts of gardens on students and faculty. This article reports on results of community stakeholder meetings and surveys of Clark County schools, as well as the methods that are being used to create a school gardens program in the most rapidly growing metropolis in the United States.

Nitrogen is essential to development of bulbing crops such as garlic (Allium sativum L.). Little scientific research thus far has concentrated on the optimum timing and concentration of applied N fertilizer for garlic grown under conditions found in the northeastern United States. A trial in Freeville, N.Y., on a gravely loam soil used three levels of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, 0 kg·ha–1, 52 kg·ha–1 sidedressed in mid-Apr., and 52 kg·ha–1 applied in mid-Apr. and early June 1995. The samples included a nonbolting (softneck) garlic and a bolting (topset) clone `Spanish Roja', both grown under wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw mulch. A separate trial in East Ithaca studied the same clones plus another topset, Merrifield Rocambole, on a sandy loam soil, using two levels, 0 and 52 kg·ha–1, of ammonium nitrate applied in mid-April only. The East Ithaca trial also examined the efficacy of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) as an alternate N source. Application of ammonium nitrate in April increased average bulb size of topset in Freeville >30%, and the average bulb size of softneck by 23%. Applying in April and June increased average bulb size of topset by 35% and of softneck by 26%. Earlier timing of the second application might enhance these increases. The East Ithaca trial found N fertilization increased average bulb size by 30% for `Spanish Roja', by 20% for Merrifield Rocambole, and 23% for softneck. Analysis of leaf tissue of garlic grown with vetch found that ammonium N increased by 22% to 28% in topset garlic and 14% to 26% in softneck. These results indicate that N fertilization, in the form of either chemical fertilizer or a legume, can benefit this crop in northeastern United States.