University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Anytime News
Article
Healing Gardens
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
Whether tending to a houseplant,
growing some flowers, or turning an outdoor garden space into a serene and
relaxing retreat, plants have the power to heal our body and our soul. The National Garden Bureau provides some
examples on how we might use plants for healing, as well as their past and
present use. This is not a new practice,
going back millennia.
Chinese
were using medicinal herbs for healing as early as 3000 BCE (before the
Christian era). Later, the Greeks built
a temple for their god of healing, Aesclepius, surrounded by healing
gardens. In America, the Quakers were among the
first to grow plants for relaxation, restoration of the soul, and to stimulate
creativity. They established one of the
first therapeutic programs in this country in 1879 at the Philadelphia Friends
Hospital. Stimulating this was the observation by a
physician that psychiatric patients tending fields and flower gardens at the
hospital were calmer. The gardens had a
"curative" effect on them.
After a few recent decades of
relying primarily on drugs, medical institutions have begun incorporating more
views of green spaces, flowerbeds, and garden views around their
facilities. Some rehabilitative
institutions utilize gardens and horticulture therapy programs as part of their
patient treatment.
An excellent example of a healing
garden I had the fortune to tour is the Rosecrance Serenity garden at their Rockford, Illinois
campus which has a several acre world-class Japanese garden. The ordered and relaxing principles of the
garden are incorporated into life analogies, exercise, group therapy, and a
place for contemplation. Its value is
seen in quotes of its clients.
"Whenever I feel weak in recovery, I look out at the garden and I
realize that I couldn't enjoy all the beauty of the world under the
influence. It reminds me of how much I
want recovery." Another quote
from a client could apply to most any peaceful garden setting. "The Serenity Garden
helps me relax when under stress because it helps me reflect on the simple
things in life."
Healing gardens can be found at many
other institutions, such as in Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Portland. Doctors at the Jupiter
Medical Center
in Florida
found that cardiology patients in rehab, who had a view of their healing garden
from their rooms, took less pain medication and had shorter hospitals stays
than those without such a view.
Whether a serious illness such as a
stroke or cancer, gardens can be an important part of healing by providing hope
and inspiration. Hope in Bloom
(hopeinbloom.org) is a non-profit organization in Massachusetts that installs free gardens at
the homes of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, as well as for other
cancer patients. Each garden is
specifically designed for the home and lifestyle of the recipient. It gives them a tranquil oasis from the world
of doctors, hospitals, sickness and despair.
Gardens and gardening activity can
improve mental outlook and our emotional mood by reducing stress, anxiety and
depression. Studies have shown that
gardening, even garden visits, can lower blood pressure and cholesterol which
in turn lowers the risk of heart disease.
Researchers at the Cleveland
Botanical Garden found
that blood pressure of many visitors dropped the longer they stayed in the
gardens.
Just as the healing process takes
time, so does the design and development of a healing garden. Here are some ideas to get your started.
--Healing
gardens can, and should, fulfill individual needs and desires, but they always
provide interaction with nature. This
natural appeal to our senses may take the form of the touch of a velvety leaf,
the color of a flower, the scent of herbs, the sounds of water or leaves in the
wind, or the taste of vegetables.
--Consider
water for relaxation, or the attraction of wildlife (such as birds and
butterflies).
--A
healing garden can begin with, or be as simple as, a container of colorful
flowers, a potted flowering plant, an outdoors container in summer with a
vegetable such as lettuce or dwarf tomato, or a pot of herbs on a sunny
windowsill.
--Healing
can be more than just observing, incorporating the experience of the gardening
process. Maintenance such as watering
and repotting, to watching the growth process from seed to flowering plant,
provide a sense of accomplishment and well-being.
--Whether
indoors or out, make sure when choosing plants to find ones suited for their
new environment to ensure success. Light
need is perhaps the key factor indoors and out.
--Outdoors,
include a gentle path, a place to sit, and shrubs or fencing to provide
enclosure. A special plant, sculpture,
water fountain, even interesting rocks can provide a focal point for meditation
and relaxation.
More resources, and healing gardens
to visit, can be found at the Therapeutic Landscapes Database
(www.healinglandscapes.org).
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