|
|
Gardening as Therapy
For many people, Gardening is a way of life. It's something that they just "do" - like breathing. "Gardeners", as such, tend to take the therapeutical aspects and benefits of gardening for granted, so it is wonderful thing to know, that these benefits are also recognised , in many parts of the world, as an important adjunct to therapy in general. Improving one's physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs, by incorporating gardening into the healing regime, is a form of therapy.
The concept has in fact been around for decades, in some countries.
In Australia, for example, there is the Horticultural Therapy Association of Victoria Inc. (HTAV)"This an organisation of professionals and volunteers who promote the therapeutic and recreational benefits of horticulture. HTAV fosters and supports horticultural programs and activities which enhance in a meaningful way, the social, emotional and physical well-being of people both in their homes and in a variety of community settings."
What does Horticultural or Garden Therapy mean?
Horticultural Therapy has been defined as a process of using plants and garden related activities to promote well-being of mind, body and spirit. It is used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, teachers, nurses, diversional therapists, allied health workers, activity workers, horticulturists and others.
The physical demands in horticultural therapy are varied, many and challenging. (Exercise, for one's well being plays an important role in all health care.) In gardening, exercise may be as gentle as sitting down at a table potting seeds/seedlings or quite strenuous as pushing a wheelbarrow or digging up a garden bed. Walking as you water with a hose in the garden is another form of exercise. Participation is the key factor not the form of exercise or the amount of energy expended.
Motivation plays a major role in self esteem and gardening therapy programs result in increased self-esteem and self-confidence for all participants.
Social and therapeutic horticulture also develops social and work skills, literacy and numeric skills, an increased sense of general well-being and the opportunity for social interaction and the development of independence. In some cases it can also lead to employment or further training or education. As no one is an expert in all aspects of gardening or garden activities, therefore, the opportunity is open for discussion and information exchange between participants.
Following a major change in lifestyle, be it due to age, retirement, illness, disease or injury; psychological behaviour may be displayed in various ways. The person who may not be able to communicate verbally, due to word disassociation or a language barrier, may become frustrated, the more they try the more apparent the frustration, often the frustration turns to anger. Everybody needs emotional support and who better than people with a common goal and who understand what frustration means - in the relative calmness of a garden.
One important benefit to using social and therapeutic horticulture is that traditional forms of communication are not always required. This is particularly important for stroke patients, car accident victims, those with cerebral palsy, aphasia or other illnesses or accidents that hinder verbal communication. Gardening activities lend themselves easily to communicative disabled individuals. This in turn builds teamwork, self-esteem and self-confidence, while encouraging social interaction.
Social and therapeutic horticulture gives many people a chance to participate in a meaningful activity, which not only produces food, but also creates skills relating to responsibility, social skills and work ethic. Increased abilities in decision-making and self-control are common themes reported by staff in secure psychiatric hospitals.Reports of increased confidence, self-esteem and hope are also common in this environment.
Prison staff have also noticed that gardening therapy improves the social interaction of the inmates, in addition to improving mutual understanding between project staff and prisoners who shared outdoor conditions of work. Its interesting that studies in both hospitals and prisons consistently list improving relationships between participants, integrating with the community, life skills and ownership as being some of the real benefits to participants.
But in addition to creating a myriad of emotional and social benefits, the health benefits of being outdoors, breathing in fresh air and doing physical work cannot be overlooked. In most studies, participants noted that fresh air, fitness and weight control were prime benefits that couldn't be overlooked.
Just being in a garden setting is in itself restorative. Active gardening only heightens those feelings.
Children, in the garden, can strike fear into the hearts of many gardeners!
The prized flowers! The lawn! Indeed, children CAN be troublesome and destructive in the garden, however, this need not always be the case. Given, that children must be able to play outside, they don't necessarily have to play IN the garden. Have a special area where really heavy type games can be played, like a sand-pit or cubby-house.
At the same time - introduce children into the real garden. For starters, it's all green - it's a fact that green can have a calmative affect. Explain to them about the beauty and fragility of nature. Show them how they can interact with plants - say, snapdragon-flower finger-puppets. Instruct them how, if they make too much noise, all the pretty birds will play somewhere else.
Most importantly, teach them how to grow things. Something they can eat is best - maybe tomatoes, or sweet-corn, water-melons even. If you were to get them to plant pumpkins, melons, or some-such (being rapid growers), when fruit starts to form say - "This one's got your name on it". Then when they're not around, using a razor-blade, or sharp knife - you cut their name into the fruit, a child won't see this. As the fruit swells - so their name grows with it. This is an immense thrill when they actually see their own name.
Gardening is always therapeutic.
| |
