Edgemere Partners with Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden for Memory Garden Experience

October 24, 2023

The therapeutic benefits of gardening for people living with dementia are plentiful. Beyond the social opportunities, gardening can help dementia patients regain some of their senses, strengthen their focus, and lengthen their attention span. Moreover, their general strength — and especially their hands — flexibility, and balance may all get a boost, while they may even experience gardening as an enhanced sense of purpose.

That’s a lot of good reasons for memory-care communities to consider gardening for their residents.

That’s exactly what Edgemere has done for its memory-care residents, teaming up with the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to bring their Edith’s Memory Garden program to the luxury senior-living community in Dallas twice a month. The Edith’s Memory Garden program offers Edgemere residents the chance to enjoy some gardening and its accompanying benefits.

In this program for people in the early to middle stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, Arboretum volunteers will lead Edgemere residents in a flower-planting event, offering instruction and guidance. And the residents keep the flowers they’ve planted.

Edith’s Memory Garden is facilitated by the Dallas Arboretum and sponsored by AWARE, an organization supported by the Dallas Foundation, and the Darrell K Royal Research Fund. The program’s founders are Rita and Henry Hortenstine and the Dallas Arboretum staff.

Edgemere offers independent- and assisted-living apartments, memory-care apartments, five-star-rated private skilled-nursing accommodations, and short-term rehabilitation.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden includes the nationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden.