Two different programs focused on gardening brought plenty of people to the Escalon Library earlier this month, with one introducing youngsters to the hobby and the other showcasing how gardening can help enhance your memory.

It was a part of the Science Saturday for kids, and librarian Amanda Clifford oversaw a project where kids and their adult chaperones had the chance to pot two plants. One, they could put in a container they decorated to take home and the other is to be added to the library garden. It was a lesson in how a garden grows and Clifford said the small library garden is doing well, with the hopes of expanding to a larger area in the future.

There were a variety of flower and vegetable options for attendees to plant; they could use the same for home and library planting or choose different ones for each container. After customizing the container with color and stickers, they then got to choose what to put in it, with help from Clifford in adding just the right amount of soil before dropping in the seeds.

Elsewhere in the library the same day, Sarah Carson of New Mettle Farms provided an in-depth presentation of how to utilize a garden to enhance your memory.

She explained that by incorporating the senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing, there are ways to strategically plan out a garden that can help with memory.

For example, she noted, sounds in a garden, whether it’s wind blowing through plants or possibly a water fountain included in the garden plan, can be soothing while also being thought-provoking.

She offered some basic layout plans that can help with enhancing the memory and said there are many ways to achieve health and healing through your garden.

“We want to clear the playing field so our brain can relax,” she said of the basic concept. “We want to create a space to be soothing.”