National Rose Month
Elderly Care in West Hempstead NY
Gardening is a fantastic activity for your parent to enjoy as part of their ongoing elderly care journey. Planning and taking care of their garden stimulates their mind, encourages physical activity, 
and gives them a sense of accomplishment and value that boosts their mental, emotional, and cognitive health.
June is National Rose Month. If your parent loves growing beautiful flowers, this the perfect opportunity for them to learn more about growing the lushest, most beautiful roses.
Use these tips to help your parent feel confident growing these lovely blooms:
- Choose their location carefully. Roses of all varieties prefer full sunlight. Look for locations that get at least six hours of full sunlight each day and that have soil that will drain effectively but also stay moist.
- Plant properly. Potted rose plants are the easiest to plant and to take care of, which is ideal for seniors who are not as familiar with caring for plants or who have movement limitations and challenges. For these roses, dig a hole that is no deeper than the pot but twice as wide. Remove the plant from the pot and lightly loosen the roots. Set the plant into the hole and cover with soil. Water the roses thoroughly after planting them to ensure that they stay properly hydrated.
- Keep them nourished. Just like your parent must concentrate on getting the right nutrition to stay healthy and strong throughout their aging years, roses need the proper nutrition to stay healthy as well. They do best in soil that has plenty of organic material in it. This is a simple recipe for rose food that your parent can mix into the soil to keep their roses strong, beautiful, and thriving.
What You Will Need
- 1 part fish meal
- 1 part greensand
- 1 part alfalfa meal
- 1 part gypsum
- 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts
- 1/2 part bone meal
- 1 teaspoon of kelp extract
- 2 tablespoons of molasses
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups of water
- A quart measuring cup
- A 2 gallon bucket
What to Do
- Mix the alfalfa, fish meal, greensand, gypsum, bone meal and Epsom salts together in the measuring cup
- Mix together by hand until well mixed
- Pour the mix into the bucket
- Add the apple cider vinegar, molasses and kelp extract to the bucket
- Add the water to the bucket and mix well
- When well mixed, add enough water to fill
- Use as a fertilizer, or to pour around the roots at 1/2 of a gallon for small rose bushes and a full gallon for larger rose bushes
Protect them in the winter. Once the warm weather ends and the chill of winter returns, your parent must protect their roses. This is not about protecting the plant itself from the cold. Instead, your parent needs to keep the plant’s roots frozen, and therefore hibernating, until the warm season comes back. To do this, they must wait for the soil to freeze completely. Then apply mulch or a ground cover to keep them frozen throughout the season.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in West Hempstead, NY, please contact the caring staff at Family First Home Companions. Serving all of Long Island. Call today: (631) 319-3961
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/roses/ultimate-rose-care-guide/
Jennifer has specialized training in Alzheimer’s disease through the Long Island Alzheimer’s Association and the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation.She also volunteered her time with the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center of Long Island for 3 years by providing cognitive stimulation to an Alzheimer’s patient group.
Jennifer educates the community about elder care and speaks to caregiver support groups, senior centers, and at professional organizations.Topics include home safety, effective strategies for family caregiving, elder care planning, and awareness about elder abuse.
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