Creating a garden can be a form of therapy. Like it or not we could all use some form of therapy so why not grow a plant.

According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) there is an upswing in interest for these gardens. More healthcare, rehabilitative centers and other therapeutic settings are creating these spaces.

Design of a Therapeutic Garden

The opportunity to design a therapeutic garden is only limited by your imagination. Ultimately, you want to think about who will benefit from the space. It should be purposefully designed to help facilitate interactions. Things to take into consideration when designing the space include:

• Wide, gently graded baths
• Raised planting beds or containers
• Color Scheme
• Texture for a touch garden
• Fragrance options.

Safe Places

Gardens are a safe place where everyone is welcome. Plants have no-judgement are non-threatening, and don’t discriminate. Gardens don’t care what color we are, or how great our education is. They won’t judge based on our income or health. You don’t have to know the name of a plant for it to accept your care. Plants will always respond to the care it is given.

Gardens can be a source of relaxation and escape. The plants can be a source of renewal and regeneration. Using the garden to help compost through our emotional and psychological burdens to regenerate s strong self. The garden will always be there to support us.

Exploring

The most therapeutic part of gardening is simply walking through it and being present. Set aside time each day, even just 10 minutes to look over your botanical friends. Taking time to notice, do they need water, are uninvited guests enjoying them. Is a new flower bud starting to open? Have seeds you planted started to germinate? How are the plants responding to the passage of the days/seasons?

Slowing down to notice these small discoveries of life is therapy for our soul. The quiet moments watching a bee or butterfly explore a flower provide therapy for the soul.

Allowing Space

Going through a life changing trauma (job loss, divorce, death of a loved one, etc) can cause us to turn inwards. Utilize a garden to allow yourself the space to process your emotions. A garden can provide comfort as a retreat space, allowing for a respite and chance for renewal.

Consider creating a quite space within the garden to sit and journal or sip a cup of tea. A garden is a safe place to heal. A place where we make successes great and small, a place to make a difference to just one plant.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Audrey Hepburn

Looking Forward

The beauty and variety of life found while communing with plants can soothe the stresses of life. This quiet act can  also provide the gift of hope and a reason to look forward to tomorrow. Gardeners have an unlimited supply of optimism. Who else can have faith that a tried up tuber will bloom, the specks of seeds will supply a bounty of food, or the bare winter branches will provide shade and tasty fruits in a few months.