Growing in the Garden
"A garden is the best alternative to therapy."
- Germaine Greer
- Germaine Greer
Introduction
Gardening Therapy, or Therapeutic Gardening, is the purposeful use of plants to improve health and enhance well-being, and has its roots in Horticulture Therapy. This type of healing practice has been noted to have positive effects, even as far back as ancient times. Historically, gardens have been used as places to create sustenance as well as serve as sites for contemplation, relaxation, and healing. But creating a therapeutic landscape is just part of the journey; the rest needs to come from sometimes difficult interpersonal work. Many people choose to pair Gardening or Horticultural Therapy with traditional talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy practice, leading to a holistic positive outcome. On this page, you'll learn all about the effectiveness of therapeutic gardening, how you can build a space to heal in, and what tools you can use at your own pace to encourage personal growth.
Building a Therapeutic Outdoor Space
Therapeutic garden spaces are being built and utilized with more frequency within healthcare and home settings. A therapeutic garden, also called a wellness garden, is an outdoor garden space or landscape that has been specifically designed to meet the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs of its visitors and their extended circles, including caretakers, family members and friends. These gardens have been created in a number of settings, including skilled nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement complexes, out-patient cancer centers, hospice residences, and other related environments. They are then used to support active healing, such as inclusion in a targeted treatment program, or passive healing as a useful space for simple contemplation or meditation. There are many aspects of a healing garden design, including:
Creation of Boundaries An important interpersonal skill to develop, this idea also translates to the design of a therapeutic garden space. Creating a noticeable boundary, such as a fence, gate, archway, stairs, or natural hedge, can go a long way in making the area feel special and removed from the hustle-bustle of daily life that can drain our energy. Entering a healing garden should feel as though one is being transported to a separate world. |
Hear no People, See no People Fill your garden space with the sounds and sights of nature. Many of us live in suburban or highly populated city areas in which true silence and outdoor privacy is not possible. Although the sound of community around us can be comforting at times, it is also important to get away from these noises, as they can be reminders of tasks, errands, work, or other life stressors. like traffic and even dangerous interactions with others. Addition of a water feature, wind chimes, or bringing in the cheerful sounds of wildlife can all be helpful tools for blocking out unwanted noise. Using trees, tall hedges, and other privacy structures like umbrellas or shade screens can also go a long way in insulating the healing garden experience. |
Use of Color and Light Create differing and contrasting textures and colors to draw the eye - and the mind. Our brains love to pay attention to differences and study them. Simply looking at a wonderfully-textured landscape can get us out of our heads enough to reach a place of healing. If you will be using your garden at night or in the early morning, it is also important to consider lighting to accent trees, shrubs, and color during hours of the day when there is little light available. Add flowering shrubs and other plants to increase intrigue even further. |
A Resting Place Whether you add a single bench, a gathering space, or a series of vignettes each with their own seats, make sure a place to rest is added to your healing garden. Make these areas comfortable enough to invite visitors to stay a while. Addition of cushions and blankets is also a great way to increase comfort in outdoor spaces. To ensure that softer furniture cushions will stand up to use and weathering, have an indoor space to store them during times of severe weather or cover them, make sure they are cleaned and checked for damage regularly, and treat them with weather-proof products to extend their lives. |
Art in the Garden As inspiring as natural landscapes can be, adding visual interest through garden art can enhance the view even more. Visual pieces like painted pots or containers, wind art, and other creative décor can be used to draw the eye, distracting visitors from their thoughts and bringing them into the present moment. |
The Wildlife Factor A final component of many healing gardens is bringing wildlife into the garden. Being closer to wildlife can relax us and create a unique sense of perspective. Providing habitats for local birds, butterflies, and other insects can go a long way in making a space they will frequent. For detailed information on creating a wildlife-friendly garden, see the Biodiversity module of The Home Gardening Course. |
Keep these points in mind as you evaluate and make changes to your current garden to incorporate healing. While creating a garden for this purpose, it is also very important to keep in mind that the landscape alone is not the end of the process. True growth takes time, effort, reflection, and hard work.
A History of Gardening as Therapy
As many gardeners can attest, gardening as an activity in and of itself is therapeutic. Gardening actually has the power to improve physical and mental health as well as provide nutritious food, and these healing superpowers have been studied for quite a while. Back in the late 1700s in the United States, most gardens were potager gardens located close to the house, with some limited plantings for fresh-cut flower bouquets and ornamental decorative plants. As more and more households engaged in gardening activities, the practice gained the attention of physician and Declaration of Independence signer Dr. Benjamin Rush, who published his opinion that spending time in garden settings and working in gardens were significantly helpful interventions in the treatment of mental illness. The first formal curriculum for Horticultural Therapy was created around 200 years later in 1972 as a part of the mental health training program at Kansas State University. Since then, therapeutic gardens have been created across the country in myriad settings where visitors can enjoy reduced stress and anxiety and increased happiness and hope. The field of Horticultural Therapy is now a vigorously growing body of knowledge and treatment with promising, lasting results.
doing the work
Therapeutic growth is one of the best ways that any individual can improve their lives. Through tried-and-true techniques, the field of psychology has produced many different therapeutic mediums and techniques, including those in the study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Due to its versatility, focus on personal work to correct thought and behavior patterns that are no longer helpful, and its success in treatment, CBT is an ideal partner for gardening as therapy. At its core, CBT treatment is based on three guiding principles. The first is that psychological issues are based in part on faulty ways of thinking. Second is that our issues are also based on the ways in which we have learned to behave. These two principles are connected, as the ways that we think commonly dictate the ways that we act. The third principle of CBT is that those suffering from any issues can learn better ways of coping with problem areas, relieve their unhelpful symptoms and become more successful in their everyday lives. With the correct guidance and a willingness to learn and explore, CBT is a fantastic avenue for measurable personal growth, and it is the treatment pattern of choice for this garden therapy site.
Because this is an internet-based source and individual monitoring and feedback from a licensed clinician is not used as a part of the process, the following techniques are meant to be used as additions to a more formal treatment plan created by a professional. The links below can help anyone to find a competent, caring, certified professional in their community or online to help build an effective treatment plan:
APA Psychologist Locator
Use this website to search for a mental health services provider close to you. |
Therapy Websites & Apps
These sites can help you find a distance mental health professional that will provide treatment over the phone or internet. |
Once you have a plan in place for your mental health, getting to work on your goals will feel rewarding, healing, and breathe life back in to your mind, just as you're working to bring life into your garden. When you're ready, the following pages can help guide you in your own practice of self-exploration. Click on any of the categories below to begin learning to grow; please refer to this disclaimer before making use of any of them.
Anxiety
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Assertiveness
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Appearance
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Bipolar
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Body Dysmorphia
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Depression
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Disordered Eating
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Health Anxiety
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Panic
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Perfectionism
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Procrastination
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Self-Compassion
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Self-Esteem
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Sleep
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Social Anxiety
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Tolerating Distress
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Worry and Rumination
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resources and references
Peopleses:
- Dana Arcuri, Soul Cry; Releasing & Healing the Wounds of Trauma
- It's amazing how many worries are lost while gardening." - Empress of Dirt
- Dana Arcuri, Soul Cry; Releasing & Healing the Wounds of Trauma
- It's amazing how many worries are lost while gardening." - Empress of Dirt
Healing is comparable to a garden. It needs to be tended to on a regular, consistent basis. For weeds to be pulled out. The garden needs water and sunshine in effort to grow.
The land knows you, even when you are lost. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass).
The land knows you, even when you are lost. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass).