The Healing Qualities of Gardening
Written by Keppy Arnoldsen
Ever wonder why you feel so good after working in the garden? It’s because gardening provides a restorative environment to stimulate our senses and our nurturing nature, while providing a relaxing way to unwind and be productive in the process. Activities such as planting seeds, tending a garden, harvesting bounty, or even creating planter boxes or flower arrangements all have therapeutic effects. The common denominator is “nurturing plants” and the healing feeling that comes from working with nature.
Gardening also provides quiet time and the opportunity to add beauty to our lives, which have therapeutic effects. The quiet time allows us to gather our thoughts, reflect on things that weigh on our minds, or maybe to just forget them for the time being and think of more pleasant things. The beauty we create working with plants is very gratifying. It makes us feel better about our home surroundings and proud of our handiwork. No wonder gardening is the most popular hobby in America today!
Gardening and horticulture are legitimate healing tools for many conditions. Psychological and medical research has demonstrated that the image or presence of plants makes us feel better, which makes gardening and horticulture legitimate healing tools for many conditions. Garden settings can be beneficial for people with mental illness, as well as those recovering from surgery or disease. For example, people healed faster when they were simply given a hospital room with a view of a garden.
Horticulture therapy is a profession dedicated to the use of plants in healing. The National Council for Therapy and Rehabilitation through Horticulture provides information on educational programs in the discipline, encourages exchange of information among horticulture therapists, and supports vocational training programs for the handicapped, elderly, and those with substance abuse or social deviation.
At home, we can reap the benefits of horticulture therapy on an informal level. Gardening can be used as a tool for building family activities and encouraging a sense of accomplishment. In our fast-paced modern society, a little tranquility and growth is a welcomed respite. The following suggestions give you some ideas to try.
Seeding/Seedling Fun. For improvement of hand-to-eye coordination following stroke, accident, or surgery or for those with physical challenges where bending or heavier physical activity are difficult, try a seeding exercise. Fill small trays with planting mix, water lightly, and then plant seeds in the wells of each seed tray. Use larger seeds for those who have difficulty picking up small seeds. After the seeds have been watered regularly and allowed to germinate in a bright location for a few weeks, you can continue the exercise with a second activity – transplanting the seedlings. Use the same potting mix, but use containers about three times larger. (Note: to make your own planting mix: use 1 part peat, 1 part perlite, and 1 part vermiculite).
Full senses alert! This activity is particularly rewarding for the sight impaired, but is also wonderful for anyone who loves to stimulate their senses! Add soil to a planter box with drainage holes that will hold 5 to 6 “sensory” plants that can be kept as a window box or deck planter. Some suggestions include furry or silky plants (such as lamb’s ear or Stachys byzantina),, naturally fragrant plants (such as mints, rosemary, sage, or thyme) whose scents are activated when disturbed. Sticky plants or succulents can also be substituted to add variety to the theme. Encourage “fondling” of the garden at all times, as a means to appreciate the pleasures of plants.
Herbal Delight. This garden provides a wonderful way to connect nature and plants with food and cooking and adds a homespun touch to meals. Using a small “square-foot” garden theme, plant 5-6 different culinary herbs in a tight design pattern, such as the spokes of a wheel or the squares of a quilt. Grow the plants, harvest the bounty, and treat a friend or family member to a meal enhanced with herbs from the garden.
Group Project? This activity is a bit of a challenge, requiring group participation and a number of helpers, but the rewards are well worth it. Take any simple pattern and design a version using plants “en masse” (planted tightly against each other in large numbers). For example, 2 advisors and 14 students from our program at Penn State Altoona planted an American flag with hundreds of impatiens in red, white, and blue for an entry design into the San Diego flower show. It required a lot of work but won best in the show that year. The activity proved to be a real “team builder” and provided a lasting feeling of pride. This idea can easily be modified to a smaller scale and can be enhanced by growing the plants at home and combining your talents with others’ in a community display.
An Alternative to Punishment! Consider giving a young adult “garden duty” as a disciplinary option. If it turns out that the child enjoys it and does well, then offer rewards for successful completion of a more involved horticulture project. It would be a great way to encourage a wholesome activity, with the added incentive of earnings or other rewards. The feeling of accomplishment cannot be underestimated in the gardening world!
Try variations on the above suggestions or activities of your own that involve plants and growth. Be creative and customize your activities and gardens to meet your own desires and wishes. The process of “planting toward a common goal” in itself will be gratifying. No matter what you try in gardening, it is likely to have a healing effect. Enjoy!
Keppy Arnoldsen, owner of Green Thumb Services and Earthen Art, can be reached at 643-3565 for comments/inquiries about art or horticulture therapy.