Wes Buss gingerly patted the dirt around his newly transplanted tomato plant. His hands seemed to know just what to do.
They didn't tremble. They didn't fumble. They didn't give up.
Several years ago, when his Parkinson's disease began to make it difficult for him to tend to his many gardens, Buss built sidewalks and a ramp to ease his scooter's path around the yard. But let the disease prevent him from gardening? "I'll never be ready," said the 73-year-old Twin Citian.
Buss was just the kind of person Jeannie Larson had in mind 16 years ago when she started a therapeutic horticulture program through the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The idea was to use plants to improve the body, lift the spirits and stimulate the mind.
Each year the number of people who have turned to Larson's therapy has grown, swelling to 5,500 last year. And Larson has learned to tailor gardening tasks to the person and the condition.
For a Parkinson's sufferer such as Buss (who attends Larson's once-a-week sessions at Struthers Parkinson's Center in Golden Valley), working with plants can free up movement and minimize depression.
"It's not like I have a one-size-fits-all program," said Larson, program manager for the Center for Therapeutic Horticulture. "I go to where a person is and then I say, 'OK, I can make this work for what your interest is.' "
Developing the program has been a personal and professional journey for Larson, who has dyslexia. She's found that being with nature helps her focus and brings her a sense of peace.