Life with Gardens in Nature, Possible as a Lifelong Career [Senior Trend]

A special exhibition opened this month at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. For the first time, the exhibition floor was turned into a display garden for 'For All That Breathes On Earth.' This was done so that visitors could experience the time landscapers spend bent over the ground. They say landscapers must carefully consider the direction in which flowers will bloom when planting them, and this meticulous approach is reflected in the exhibition's format. The film 'Poem Written on the Earth' was also released. It tells the story of Jeong Young-sun (born 1941), the first-generation landscaper in Korea and the first female national land development engineer.

According to the Agricultural Terminology Dictionary of the Rural Development Administration, a landscaper is "a technician and scientist who organizes land by equipping spaces and objects to provide effective, hygienic, safe, and pleasant use." Many gardens, including Seonyudo Park, Korea's first recycled ecological park, the O'Sulloc Tea Museum with Jeju plants, and the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, were created by her hands. Looking at these works, one can understand why landscapers are people who connect the land and imagine and realize the four seasons.

In spring, stories of flowers and trees are indispensable. It is the season when flowers that once boasted bright and colorful hues gradually turn green. When I was young, I went to plant trees every Arbor Day on April 5th. Although it was a public holiday, I vividly remember grabbing seedlings with friends while teachers covered the soil with shovels. In high school home economics classes, we made azalea pancakes. Although I grew up close to nature in Gangwon Province, the gardens I first encountered in Jeolla Province ten years ago were unique. Until then, I thought trees and forests were purely natural creations, but the gardens I saw at the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo were 'decorated places.' They reflected human individuality and characteristics of different countries. Around this time last year, I went on a business trip to Singapore and encountered a 40-meter-high waterfall and a vast forest inside the airport called Jewel Changi. With an investment of 1.5 trillion won, 120 species of plants, 2,500 trees, and 100,000 shrubs were designed to transform the airport from a 'transit place' to a 'place to stay.' While waiting for the next flight to the Middle East, I noticed many families passing through, but the people watering the plants and beautifying the environment were seniors.

For the third act of life, one of the recommended jobs for active seniors who believe in 'lifelong engagement' is related to forests and gardens. In a previous senior trend column, forest interpreters were introduced as jobs without retirement age. The Korea Forest Service and Korea Forest Welfare Institute even published a guidebook titled '100 Ways to Work in the Forest.' The book, over 200 pages long, introduces various jobs and educational programs worth referencing. These include becoming a forest interpreter, forest healing instructor, or working in timber and forest product production. Most provide an income of around 1 million won per month, offer opportunities to meet various people including children, and if physically able, also benefit health. Among these, the landscaping technician certification is a national technical qualification, and those who have graduated from related departments or have more than four years of practical experience can take the exam. If one does not meet these conditions, completing a credit bank system is another option. Even after graduating from a landscaping department, philosophy and experience must accumulate, and treatment varies greatly, so becoming a garden manager is also worth considering. Also called a horticulturist, this means a person who creates gardens or yards.

The senior generation is reconsidering their career paths. Places with guaranteed retirement are rare, but life after retirement usually continues for more than 30 years. I think of gardens. I asked artificial intelligence (AI) about the benefits for seniors who tend gardens. First, it helps both physical and mental health. Since it involves movement, it maintains physical health while reducing stress and anxiety, benefiting mental health. Second, it provides opportunities to connect with others and maintain social interactions. Third, the purpose of tending a garden gives a sense of achievement, pride, and meaning to the work. Additionally, it helps prevent dementia and allows consumption of fresh vegetables, contributing to overall well-being.

Before and after COVID-19, global interest in wellness?a term combining well-being, happiness, and fitness?has increased. Related jobs and activities are expanding. In Wonju, a place called 'Heukcheoreom Ashram' teaches how to build earthen houses. I often go there to give financial planning lectures, and the sessions are always full. About 80% of participants are seniors, and 20% are young people. Some seniors plan to build houses to recover their health after decades of hard work, while young people eager to pioneer their own lifestyles and enjoy nature participate with bright eyes. The reason I recommend this to seniors is that nature-related work is a promising industry that transcends generations.

The great writer Hermann Hesse was also a painter and is known to have farmed grapes for a living. He especially loved gardening and has a collection of writings titled "Time Spent in the Garden." It is said that even in societies devastated by war, he found life’s driving force and insight through gardens. Among seniors' hopes is always to be with nature. I would like to share a recent interview with Jeong Young-sun, the matriarch of Korean landscaping. "Landscaping can be a poem written on the earth and can give a deep resonance. Just as looking at a rainbow in the sky makes your heart race, I hope the gardens we delicately tend and nurture become sources of inspiration and moments of healing and recovery for everyone." Imagining a vibrant senior life through physical and mental health, spending time with gardens in nature, is happiness in itself.

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age