A New Path to Healing
Spending time with nature, and in particular working with plants, has a beneficial effect on humans and their emotions. For centuries, people have noted the importance of being immersed in nature and how the solace and reflection time available when working with gardens can really be therapeutic for all of us.
Recognition of the benefits of the milieu of the garden is leading to a growth in the use of horticultural therapy to help heal both physical and mental trauma. Evidence shows that exposure to nature improves attention more than other recreational activities and better emotional well-being is associated with tending to, and harvesting, a garden.
Horticultural therapy began to gain recognition as a wellness tool after World War II when veterans were assigned to tend gardens to help them heal as they helped supply food for their communities. They showed physical and psychological improvements from working with plants, and gardening became a path to reintegrating veterans into society. This work in gardening as therapy has continued and is now showing promise in work with dementia patients, who can get both physical activity and mental stimulation by participating in supervised gardening. There is also growing interest in using horticultural therapy as part of psychiatric rehabilitation for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Used as a therapeutic modality like occupational therapy, horticultural therapy can improve fine motor skills, reawaken coordination, and increase attention span and mental focus. While not as common as routine occupational or physical therapy, horticultural therapy uses the same methodology and a specific therapeutic plan is established for each patient. Follow up with the therapist, to demonstrate the accomplishment of the patient’s goals, is part of the program.
Today, there are eight American university programs that offer certification in horticultural therapy. The American Horticultural Therapy Association has set standards for who meets the definition of a horticultural therapist, requiring a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in horticultural therapy or a bachelor’s degree with additional coursework in plant science, human science, and horticultural therapy. A horticultural therapist must also complete a 480-hour internship and register with the organization. The therapists that are certified from these programs work with SMART goal methods to apply specific and measurable outcomes to horticultural therapy.
There are several therapeutic gardens in the U.S. that have specific programs for this type of therapy work, but gardens within a community can also serve as centers for horticultural therapy. Healing gardens are specifically designed, both through their pathways and the specific choice of plants, to promote wellness. The walkways are smooth and circular to encourage movement while the plantings have a variety of colors, fragrances and sounds that are peaceful and rejuvenating. Some provide enabling programs of horticultural therapy to rehabilitate people; others include rehabilitation of the environment as part of their mission. Being active in these surroundings has been shown to promote ambulation, increase positive reminiscences, decrease stress and improve sleep/wake cycles.
Other programs also show the difference a garden can make in education and the community. In California, the Master Gardeners of each county are associated with the University of California Cooperative Extension program through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to bring research-based horticultural practices to the home gardener. In El Dorado County, the Master Gardeners maintain the Sherwood Demonstration Garden to support a number of programs that bring gardening skills to all ages. The Master Gardeners, along with Cal Fresh, work with the Motherlode Rehabilitation Enterprises (MORE) program for developmentally disabled adults to help their clients learn to garden and also about harvesting and preparing food. This program leads to a better understanding of nutrition, cultivates skills for independence, and provides hands-on experience in the garden.
These curricula not only teach sustainable practices and promote healthy food choices, but they also provide interaction with others in the community. Other programs in California work with recently incarcerated adults to teach construction, landscape and gardening skills that will help them be more employable, providing a route to learning the confidence and self-worth that helps in their return to society.
School gardens are finding their place not only in education but in providing fresh food for students and their families. The school gardens provide an environment for learning biology and environmental science while also increasing the participants’ intake of vegetables at home. Depending on the program, parents volunteer with students and quantities of food grown may be sufficient to augment the fresh foods provided in the school’s cafeteria. The students are understandably proud of growing the fruit and veggies served at lunchtime, but their improved attendance and attention in the classroom is also a significant benefit from the process.
Beyond their therapeutic benefits, community gardens build bridges in communities, especially in food desert areas or in locations where a minority group has limited access to groceries. Working in a community garden is associated with increased vegetable intake, improved social engagement, increased physical activity levels and lower body mass index. Commonly successful crops include fruits such as strawberries and blueberries along with vegetables including kale, radishes and snowpeas that grow well in most climates. These communal plots are a source of educational opportunities, enhanced community spirit, and create beautiful spaces not only for people but also for birds and insects.
As our society recognizes the need for mental health support in many facets of our lives, it is good to know that help may come in the form of gardening, either in the specific therapy programs that are prescribed for individuals or in the general health benefits that anyone can receive just by starting to work with plants. Our connection with the world around us begins just outside our doorway, and tending to our gardens, both figuratively and literally, brings fulfillment and joy to our lives.
Email Kitty Stewart, MD
