Soule Senior Outreach

The Missouri Botanical Garden is proud to offer a variety of programs specifically tailored to senior living communities. We are pleased to bring the Garden to your community. Request a Therapeutic Horticulture team member and/or a trained volunteer to come to your community.

Please call (314) 577-9506 to make a reservation. See reservation procedures. Please make sure that at least two staff members from your center are present during the program to assist participants with projects.

Below you will find a variety of engaging nature-based program options:

Virtual Programs
A Room with a Bloom

Closeup on hands arranging flowersExperience the joy that flowers bring into your life! This program will provide participants with a hands-on experience that is therapeutic, sensory engaging and educational.

How it works:
Sign up for the “Room with a Bloom” program for one session or monthly. Each month we will provide seasonal fresh flowers and herbs for the participants to create their very own arrangement.

Therapeutic benefits:
  • Provides joy and stress reduction
  • Fine motor skills
  • Social interaction
  • Memory recall
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Creative outlet

Presentation length: 45–60 minutes

Fee per participant:

  • $6 for small arrangement with 2–3 different flowers
  • $9 for medium arrangement with 4–5 different flowers

Participants: 10 participants minimum and 15 participants maximum

Garden Presentations

Request a trained volunteer to come to your community to present on a topic. While the presentations are primarily visual, most will come with a sensory kit with close up photographs and sensory engaging materials. It is our goal to engage all participants regardless of ability.

Presentation length: 45–60 minutes
Fee: $25
Participants: 10 participants minimum and 25 participants maximum (see facilities key below)

Please call (314) 577-9506 to make a reservation. See reservation procedures. Please make sure that at least two staff members from your center are present during the program to assist participants with projects.

 

Missouri Botanical Garden Walk

SCN, AL, IL
 		   Water lily and lily padsWalk with us as we share the beauty of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Enjoy the tour as we visit the various themed gardens throughout our 79 acre site.

Chinese Lantern Festival

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Welcoming Dragon LanternDuring the summer of 2012 the Garden presented one of our largest and most successful exhibits ever, The Chinese Lantern Festival. Join us on a photographic exploration as we tour the various lanterns, constructed of silk, steel, porcelain and glass, as they were seen during the day as well as their spectacular showing at night.

Missouri Native Wildflowers

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Purple ConeflowerDiscover the many benefits of planting Missouri natives. Explore three habitats: prairie, woodland and glade. These wildflowers attract a variety of songbirds, butterflies and beneficial insects. Learn about these plants and how they were used by Native Americans.

Romance of Roses

SCN, AL
Includes sensory kit		   RoseSit back and relax as you enjoy some of the most beautiful roses in the world. Learn about the appreciation of these plants throughout history as well as the different types and hybrids of these captivating plants.

Mr. Shaw

SCN, AL, IL   Henry ShawSee how Henry Shaw’s dream grew into a world famous institution—the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Plants of the Bible

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   PomegranateBiblical references help us understand the plants of the eastern Mediterranean over thousands of years. Learn about biblical plants and their uses through the centuries.

Butterfly Gardening

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   ButterflyButterflies have intrigued people for centuries. During this beautiful presentation we will learn about the life cycle of the butterfly as well how to attract and keep them in our gardens! Learn about their needs and the different plants that will bring these beauties to your yard!

Mysteries of Orchids

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   OrchidThe orchid family is one of the most diverse and fascinating in the plant kingdom. Get up close and personal with these exotic beauties. Learn about the history and legends of some of the world’s most beautiful flowers.

North American Birds & Their Nests

AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   ChickadeeThere is a wide variety of different nests and nesting habits of North American birds. Types of nests are based on location, types of predators and materials available. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, enjoy a beautiful and fascinating slide show on a large variety of intriguing birds and the homes they build.

Birds at Your Feeder

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Bird in flightDo you enjoy watching the birds that visit your feeder? Learn about the wide variety of Missouri birds and their habits.

The Japanese Garden

AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Japanese GardenEnjoy the splendor of Missouri Botanical Garden’s Japanese Garden. The philosophy and design of this garden are beautifully illustrated and interpreted.

A Walk in the Chinese Garden

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Chinese GardenExplore the myth and meaning of the elements of stone, water, plants, and structures found in our Chinese scholar’s garden.

All About Tea

SCN, AL, IL
Includes herbal tea kit for each participant		   Camellia, plant from which we get teaLearn all about tea, from true teas to herbal teas and different tea traditions from around the world. Explore the many different plants used to make herbal tea and how to create your own herbal tea blend to enjoy.

From Field to Fabric: Cotton

AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Cotton bollWhat do dollars, jeans and cow chow have in common? They’re all made with cotton. Learn about this wonderful plant from field to finished products.

Shades of Green

SCN, AL, IL   LeafAn inspirational video with wide range of photos of Garden locations, designed to increase awareness of shades of green in nature (available through private link on YouTube). Drop-off kit contains hands-on materials for participants to pot a house plant of their own.

 

 

Hands-on Programs

These hands-on programs have been developed for participants with a variety of ability levels. Each program is taught by a trained volunteer who introduces the group to the topic, followed by a hands-on activity for all participants.

Presentation length: 45–60 minutes
Fee: $60
Participants: 10 participants minimum and 15 participants maximum (see facilities key below)

Please call (314) 577-9506 to make a reservation. See reservation procedures. Please make sure that at least two staff members from your center are present during the program to assist participants with projects.

 

Chinese Lantern Festival

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Welcoming Dragon LanternDuring the summer of 2012 the Garden presented one of our largest and most successful exhibits ever, The Chinese Lantern Festival. Join us on a photographic exploration as we tour the various lanterns, constructed of silk, steel, porcelain and glass, as they were seen during the day as well as their spectacular showing at night. Participants will enjoy a slide tour of the Lantern Festival and a hands-on activity potting individual succulent plants.

Delight of a Chinese Garden

SCN, AL, IL
Includes sensory kit		   Pavilion in Chinese GardenThe Garden’s Margaret Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden honors the sister city relationship between St. Louis and Nanjing, established in 1979 as the first such relationship between the United States and China. Participants will enjoy a slide tour of our fabulous Chinese Garden and a hands-on activity including potting individual succulent plants.

All About Tea

SCN, AL, IL
Includes herbal tea kit for each participant		   Camellia, from which we get teaLearn all about tea, from true teas to herbal teas and different tea traditions from around the world. Explore the many different plants used to make herbal tea and how to create your own herbal tea blend to enjoy.

Color of Nature

SCN, AL, IL   Bright pink flowerMuch of the color in nature comes from flowers. Learn about the effects of color and how flowering plants use color. Participants make a decorative corsage or boutonniere from fresh flowers to be kept or given as a gift.

 

 

Reservation Procedures

For All Senior Programs:
Call (314) 577-9506 at least two months before you would like to have the program presented.

  • As soon as a staff member and/or trained volunteer has been scheduled to present your program, a confirmation form will be mailed to you.
  • Payment must be received within 2 weeks of the presentation. Volunteers cannot collect payment at the time of the program.
  • Payment not received in a timely manner will result in future programs being removed from our schedule.
  • We ask that you notify us at least 5 business days prior if you must cancel. Not cancelling in a timely manner will reflect on the scheduling of future programs. A business day is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
  • If the Missouri Botanical Garden must cancel a program, you will be notified right away and the program will be rescheduled.
  • For liability reasons, please make sure that at least two staff members from your center are present during the program to assist participants.

 

Note to Senior Living Activity Directors:
The goal of the Garden’s Therapeutic Horticulture Programs is to provide the best quality and most meaningful programs to individuals of all abilities in the community. By keeping the number of participants smaller and the program length appropriate for your participants, we can offer a more meaningful and beneficial program for all individuals by catering to their specific needs. We have also created a Facilities Key to act as a guide to assist you in program selection. For assistance in choosing the best program for your group call (314) 577-9506.

Facilities Key
SCN = Skilled Care Nursing / Ideal number of participants: 10–15
AL = Assisted Living / Ideal number of participants: 10–15
IL = Independent Living / Ideal number of participants: 10–25 (hands-on 10–15)

 

Therapeutic Horticultural Programs at the Garden are made possible
through contributions by:

Friends and family of Dr. Samuel D. Soule
Dr. Oscar and Barbara Soule
Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Foundation
E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust
Mary Anne Lucas Fund
Van Evera Foundation
Maritz Corporation