Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ Community Outreach Services intergenerational gardening group ‘Building Bridges’ has acquired extensive knowledge over the past few months. Our sunflowers, cultivated from seeds, have added a vibrant touch to our garden.
The participants of the intergenerational gardening group learned a lot about their sunflowers. They learned sunflowers exhibit heliotropism (track the sun), are indigenous to the Americas, comprise numerous tiny flowers, can be utilized for soil remediation, and possess edible seeds and petals.
Following the blossoming phase, we were able to prune the plants and harvest the seeds, some of which will be consumed and others reserved for planting next year. A modest serving size of sunflower seeds (1 oz) provides a rich source of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that safeguards cells against damage and potentially mitigates the risk of heart disease.
Our intergenerational gardening group met recently for a full afternoon of nourishing our mind, body and spirits. Our participants enjoyed a fun wheel of health spinning game and learned a lot about fruits and vegetables. Then we headed off into our garden for harvesting and weeding. After we got a nice hall of veggies, we came back in to enjoy homemade zucchini bread (of course with zucchini we picked), fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil from the garden, and BBQ chicken, ribs and potatoes.
We finished off our afternoon with some deep breathing exercises and participants got to take home the harvest we picked! This summer has been filled with fun and informational gardening events where people came together to participate in the caring and appreciation of a beautiful garden together.
For more information on the environmental and educational efforts of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, visit Our Common Home.
