A new study has shown that we seniors take in more information from the environment. Researchers call it “hyper-encoding,” when we notice more of what’s going on around us and merge it with other information we’re getting at the same time. And we’re 30 percent better at it than our younger counterparts.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re with your daughter talking to a friend, Mr. Jones, on the street, listening to what he’s saying. Not only do you listen to him, but you also notice that he’s wearing a red tie and a blue shirt. Later you say to your daughter, “I’d like to buy your father a shirt like Mr. Jones was wearing.” To which your daughter will likely reply: “What shirt? I didn’t notice it.” Not only that, but if you happen to spot that same shirt in a store, you’re more likely to remember where you first saw it.

Does this make us wiser? Perhaps. I suspect we’re better at making decisions because we’ve noticed so much more around us over time. We understand cause and effect because we’ve witnessed events and taken in information, and when new information is presented, we can tie it to the previous events we’ve seen.

We’re good at problem solving, likely because of past experience. We take the parts and pieces and put them together in ways that our younger counterparts don’t. We tend to get good grades in classes we take, likely because we remember old information and tie it to the new.

On the other hand, this reduced ability to filter out extraneous information can explain why many of us find television commercials so annoying. Not only do we remember the content of the show we’re watching, but we can also recall the commercial information, repeated over and over.

Starting a garden

My garden for this summer is already taking shape, at least on the kitchen counters, where dozens of little seed pots are lined up in flats. This year my goal is to grow vegetables for the food bank. I’ve already tried out my new PotMaker, a handy wooden gadget for making seed-starting pots out of newspaper.

I almost gave up gardening last year, mostly because of all the work. The stooping and bending was the worst of it. This year things will be up higher and easier to reach. A father-and-son team here in town are working on some trellises for me. Those will be for the climbing plants. When the weather is warmer, father and son will be over here building some extrahigh raised beds.

A neighbor and I have gone in together on the cost of seeds. We have different ways of planting and growing, so we’ll have to see which methods work best. (She goes for grow lights, while I prefer the sun, for one thing.)

So far, the menu-to-be consists of sweet peppers (mostly for the bright colors), tomatoes, carrots, three types of lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, green beans and climbing spinach.

If you don’t have garden space, your town might have a site designated for a seniors’ vegetable garden. Or if you live in a retirement center, ask about setting aside a communal area for residents to grow vegetables or flowers.

To get started, all you need is pencil, paper, catalog -- and your imagination. For tips on how to grow your own vegetables, see The Vegetable Gardening Guru at www.vegetablegardeningguru. com

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.