American Horticultural Therapy Association

Greetings AHTA members and friends and welcome back from the Labor Day holiday weekend. For today's social media action, we're going to give you some reading about the
Waxed Flower Activity by Donna Hunt and Joanne Beckman, Master Gardener.

Flower waxing is a fun and relatively easy project with certain precautions. Never forget it is hot wax and should never be left unattended. The best way and safest is to use a single burner hot plate to heat the wax. Keep the burner away from the edge of the table. With that being said, let's wax!

Waxed flowers can be used in centerpieces, made into pins for wearing, are great to photograph, and more. Note: The waxed flower should not be placed directly on a table, use a plate or coasters. The best flowers are larger blooms such as camellias, roses, mums, and azaleas. You may want to experiment with your fav.

You will need:
• 5 lbs of household wax (such as Gulf Wax) and 1 1⁄2 pints of mineral oil
• Measuring cup
• Large pan (dish pan) for ice water
• Metal strainer to scoop out bits of wax and ice
• Medium size pot dedicated to wax (mine is non-stick, 9.5 inches across & 7.5 tall)
• 1 fork to remove debris when you finish or reheat your wax
• Hot plate with temperature controls and a low or warm setting
• Digital candy thermometer that will clip to the side of the pot
• Newspaper layers on which to place waxed blooms
• Scissors

Technique:
1. Cut stems about 3-4 inches long.
2. Remove leaves close to the bloom, other leaves can stay but hold them out of the wax.
3. Try to keep wax at 138-140 degrees. Wax less than that will be too thick, and the flowers will look milky. Wax over that range will cook the blooms.
4. Roll the bloom from side to side, then down and out quickly, so that it is completely covered in wax. The bloom should only be in the wax for a few seconds. Do not dunk the flower straight down.
5. Once out of the wax with face down, shake gently to remove excess wax. Turn face-up and shake gently so the wax will flow to the bottom of the petals.
6. Quickly roll the bloom into ice water. Leave it face down for at least 30 seconds and then let it float.
7. Remove from the water and place on the newspaper to dry.

Tips:
* Choose fresh blemish-free blooms and bring them inside a couple of hours before waxing so they are dry and at room temperature. Check for ants or other insects.
* Try not to bump or touch the blooms, even after they are waxed. If the wax seal is broken, the flower will change color and deteriorate faster.
* White or light-colored variegated flowers work best. Also, single or semi-double petals wax better. Practice will improve your results and help you choose the flowers you like best to wax.
* Do not heat wax too quickly. It is flammable. A crockpot gets too hot to use, but a double boiler will work. A hot plate with a warm or very low setting is best.
* Use 5 oz of mineral oil for every 1 lb. of wax as you fill your pot or refill when your wax is depleted. It usually takes 1 to 2 hours to melt a pot that is 2/3 full.
* When you finish waxing for the day, remove the thermometer from the pot and cover it with a lid. Wax can be reused from year to year. (The initial cost of Gulf Wax on Amazon is $35).
* If you have younger children, you may just let them put the flower into the ice bath. Another way to make this more fun for kids and adults is to let them loose in a garden to find their bloom.

Hope you enjoyed the activity and please visit our website www.ahta.org for more activity ideas.

Reminder!!

Remember to book your room for the AHTA 2024 Conference. The deadline to secure a room is September 27, 2024. The conference hotel is the Embassy Suites by Hilton Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle.
Address:
201 Harrison Oaks Blvd
Cary, NC 27513

Rooms can now be booked via the reservation link on our website www.ahta.org or by calling 1-800-EMBASSY and using the code 92G.

Save the Date!

COVID-19 Lessons Learned: Collaborations Building Resilience Across a Healthcare System:
Therapeutic Garden Programs Supporting Patients, Families, Employees, and Communities 24-7

When: Friday, September 13, 2024. 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PST.
Where: Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Portland, Oregon

Please join us online or in person as Meghan McKiernan, HTR, and Teresia Hazen, HTR, share lessons learned in Legacy Health’s COVID-19 experience from the very beginnings in January 2020 through today. The therapeutic garden program is viewed as an essential service. See how the HTRs and the garden program team are essential workers.

Session Objectives:
1. Describe three studies promoting the evidence base for gardens in health care.
2. Explain the evidence base, best practices, and example programs supporting resilience and well-being across the workplace from the individual to the organizational level.
3. Describe HTR responsibilities and the value of focus on program assessment and documentation, collaborative goal setting, innovation, sharing, and promoting a range of presentations for one’s Therapeutic Garden Program CQI, organizational success, and AHTA professional development.

Enjoy lunch in the hospital cafeteria before the program.

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. PST: Join in a guided tour of selected campus therapeutic gardens. We will facilitate the group for continued networking and a dinner gathering if desired.

Registration deadline is August 25. Register via email to Meghan McKiernan at [email protected]. Note if you will attend in person or virtual. The meeting room and further information will be sent in the confirmation email.

Please post and share with your networks. All are welcome!

During the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference, we will have Concurrent Sessions throughout the conference schedule.

On October 18, 2024, from 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM, our first Concurrent Session, Concurrent Session 1A, will be brought to you by Hannah Ball Damberg, Farm Educator, and Greg Stivland, OTR/L, HTR who will be presenting about Models of Collaboration and the Intersection of Outdoor Education, Therapeutic Horticulture, and Horticultural Therapy in a Public School Setting. This session will explore collaboration models and examples of how TH/HT collaboration with partners inside and outside the school district work together to support innovative outcomes for students and staff. hope to see you there.

For more conference information and to register please visit www.ahta.org.

Happy Monday AHTA members and friends!
Great news, the AHTA 2024 Annual Conference Early Bird Deadline has been extended to August 16th!
We have received requests to extend the Early Bird Deadline so we have provided an extra week for discounted pricing.
Keep in mind that the hotel block is filling up. If no rooms are available, please email us at [email protected] for additional accommodation information.

Greetings AHTA members and friends!

The AHTA Annual Conference is right around the corner and we would like to introduce one of our conference keynote speakers; Jazmin Albarran, MBA. Jazmin will be speaking on Friday, October 18, 2024.
Jazmin is the Executive Director of Seed Your Future and has more than a decade of change and systems management experience. With a solid knowledge of associations and philanthropy, Jazmin brings her skills and expertise in planning, leading, and managing development projects and programs to the movement. Jazmin also has experience in a broad range of nonprofit organizations, including those focused on crisis support, youth development, and workforce development. Jazmin will lead Seed Your Future’s next phase of growth, promoting horticulture sectors and the nationwide expansion of career development opportunities with plants.

Want to hear Jazmin speak? Well of course you do, you can when you register and attend the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference. Hope to see you there! Please visit www.ahta.org for more conference information

A last reminder!!!

Don't forget to register for the AHTA 2024 Annual Conference at the Early Bird rate by today, August 9, 2024! We look forward to meeting in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina on October 18–19, 2024.

The hotel block is almost full. If no rooms are available, please email us at [email protected] for additional accommodation information.

The schedule at a glance is now available! Take a glance to see what sessions you can look forward to at the event. Please note this schedule is subject to change. Register today and save with early bird pricing!

Please visit www.ahta.org for more information

Reminder!!
Don't miss the AHTA Conference early bird registration deadline of August 9, 2024!

Please consider joining us for the AHTA 2024 Annual Conference. The early bird registration ends on August 9, 2024. We look forward to meeting in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina on October 18–19, 2024. The theme of the conference this year is Collective Effervescence and we have a great lineup of speakers and presentations.

Want to know more about the conference? Please visit our website at www.ahta.org for more information and to register.

Reminder!! Deadline extended!!

AHTA 2024 Election time is here and the deadline to vote has been extended until 2 August 2024! Help select the future leaders of AHTA! The American Horticultural Therapy Association is pleased to announce the candidates for the open positions for the 2024-2027 term for Director-at-Large. This year's candidates include:
Holly Harrison
Christina Kocol
Katie Ryzhikov
Kamyshia Thompson

Please visit our website at www.ahta.org to learn more about the candidates and to cast your vote today.

Greetings AHTA members and friends on this wonderful Wednesday! Have you had the chance to explore our website and register for the upcoming 2024 Annual Conference? If not, don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from Brie Arthur, one of our keynote speakers, on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Let's dive into a brief overview.

Brie Arthur, a renowned bestselling author and horticulturist, captivates audiences with her dynamic presentations and innovative gardening advice. An advocate for consumer horticulture and home gardening across America, she authored "The Foodscape Revolution" and "Gardening with Grains," while also contributing to the Emmy-winning PBS program, "Growing a Greener World." Brie's role as an ambassador for Soil3 organic compost underscores her commitment to sustainable practices, showcased through her YouTube channel, "Brie The Plant Lady." As a representative of the International Plant Propagators' Society Southern Region, she connects with global horticulture professionals.

Want more information about our upcoming conference? Please visit www.ahta.org for more information.

The American Horticultural Therapy Association would like to remind you to vote for the open positions for the 2024-2027 term for Director-at-Large. You may access the ballot and review candidate information on our website. Voting will remain open through Friday, July 26, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT.

This year's candidates include:
Holly Harrison
Christina Kocol
Katie Ryzhikov
Kamyshia Thompson

Help select the future leaders of AHTA and cast your vote today at www.ahta.org.

The AHTA is sad to announce that on 23 June 2024, we lost an icon in Horticultural Therapy. Please take a moment to read about her incredible contributions.

Nancy Chambers came into the field as a pioneer and blazed the way for many of our rewarding careers, bringing the benefits of plants and nature to those who need it the most. Nancy’s daughter, Ruth, shared career advice she was given by her mother “Find something you are passionate about that allows you to give back and do it. It will provide for you.” Nancy embraced this advice every day. Nancy created her first position in horticultural therapy at Essex County Psychiatric Hospital in the late 70’s. However, her legacy lies in her work at the Glass Garden at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Rusk Institute. Nancy became the director of the Enid A. Haupt Glass Garden in 1986 and developed the garden and its innovative programming over the next 26 years. Shortly after her arrival, Nancy spearheaded the garden improvements to provide more services to the patients at Rusk, NYU Hospital, and the local community.
Nancy and her team developed the garden and the Glass Garden is recognized as a public Botanical Garden, making it an important bridge between the Medical Center and the community. Another accomplishment happened when Nancy and the therapists at the Glass Garden sought to redevelop a playground located next to the greenhouse. The result of the collaborative process was the award-winning NYU Children’s PlayGarden. The PlayGarden provided a connection to nature for children both in the hospital and the community. Nancy took it even further by having a Budding Gardeners program - an annual children’s festival in the PlayGarden where she brought in farm animals and clowns to entertain and educate the children.
When she retired in 2012, Nancy and her team had trained over 75 horticultural therapists, horticulturists, and vocational trainees. She stayed active in her retirement by teaching and serving both MAHTN and the AHTA. Nancy has influenced the lives of the majority of us in the world of horticultural therapy, leaving an indelible mark on the field and in the hearts of those she touched.

Interested in AHTA sponsorship? Well, we have several opportunities to do so. Please check out a few of our opportunities below.

Reminder!!

Registration for the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference is open and ready for you to make the move to join us!

AHTA 2024 Election time is here! Help select the future leaders of AHTA!

The American Horticultural Therapy Association is pleased to announce the candidates for the open positions for the 2024-2027 term for Director-at-Large. This year's candidates include:

Holly Harrison
Christina Kocol
Katie Ryzhikov
Kamyshia Thompson

Please visit our website at www.ahta.org to learn more about the candidates and to cast your vote today.

The AHTA is excited to present a preview of the lineup for the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. We are thrilled about the outstanding speakers who will be sharing their expertise and vision for the growth of horticulture, how it can continue to lead the world as an important therapeutic and rehabilitative practice in restorative health, and how it can empower individuals to tackle increasing environmental challenges. Here is a sampling of the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference schedule:
● Creating Opportunities for Adolescents to Grow Through Horticultural
Therapy in a Residential Setting and Introducing Therapeutic Horticulture
to K-12 Counselors
● Models of Collaboration and the Intersection of Outdoor Education,
Therapeutic Horticulture, and Horticultural Therapy in a Public School Setting
● Mindful Horticultural Therapy to Promote Well-Being
● Building Anxiety Resilience for Climate Change through Collaborative
Horticultural Therapy
● Applications of Nature-Based Wellness in Healthcare
● Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Physical and Mental Health, Well-Being,
and Cognitive Function in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
● Planting Seeds of Freedom – A Sensory Journey Through the 12 Steps
● Collaboration Across Allied Therapeutic Disciplines to Promote
High-Quality Client, Patient, and Resident Services
● Therapeutic Horticulture for Chronic Low Back Pain

This is a tentative glimpse at some of the presentation offerings. Much more to come!

AHTA 2024 Conference Sponsorship Opportunities...and more!

Are you interested in receiving valuable exposure for your organization's brand? Consider taking advantage of AHTA's sponsorship opportunities for 2024. Our packages give sponsors more flexibility in shaping their sponsorships with AHTA at the conference and year-round. Through our á la carte items, sponsors can now tailor the partnership opportunity to better fit their specific needs and objectives. A variety of options are available whether you are looking to build your network with horticultural professionals, promote educational programs, or promote your products or services through the AHTA website, targeted emails, and more.

If you have any questions about sponsorship, contact us at [email protected]

Save the date now! Portland Memory Garden Celebrates 22nd Anniversary

Announcement!!

The moment you've been waiting for has arrived! Registration is now open for the 2024 AHTA Annual Conference! We look forward to meeting with everyone in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina on October 18–19, 2024. The theme of the conference this year is Collective Effervescence. Register today and take advantage of our early bird prices! Please visit www.ahta.org for more information and to register.

Webinar Reminder!! Registration link on the pic. See you then!!

Gardening Through Grief
June 6, 2024 @ 10 a.m. EST | 7 a.m. PST

Pre-Conference Tour Alert!

The AHTA Annual Conference is offering some great pre-conference tours which will happen on 17 October 2024. So far we have 6 great tours planned and the Farm at Penny Lane is one of them. Have a great HT day!