Gardening Therapy

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gardening

Recent years have seen gardens popping up in some of the most unexpected places - retirement homes, after-school programs, and even prisons - where, it turns out, they have proven to be a very beneficial form of therapy and rehabilitation on multiple levels. Horticultural therapy is a centuries-old practice that began as a treatment for mental illness. Over the last 75 years that net has expanded to include physical rehabilitative care, memory care, and even social and work-related rehabilitation.

The possible benefits of horticulture therapy include improvement in memory, cognitive abilities, language and social skills, as well as coordination, balance, endurance and muscle strengthening. Gardening with purpose also can help teach people to work independently, problem solve and follow directions.

While many therapeutic gardens are designed by landscape architects for clinical application in order to promote a specific set of therapeutic benefits, you too can create your own garden oasis for at-home therapeutic use. The first step is to decide what kind of therapy you want to use your garden for. If you have mobility limitations, an enabling garden with gently graded accessible entrances and paths and raised planting beds may be right for you. If you want to promote learning and memory care, consider incorporating a sensory-oriented plant selection focused on color, texture and fragrance. If you have kids, you may want to consider making your garden a fun place for them to learn and play as well. Give your child a kid-friendly planter and encourage them to plant and maintain their own assortment of flowers and herbs. Hang a tire swing from a tree in your yard for your child to play on. If you want to encourage physical health and nutrition consider producing your own natural food supply, using organic farming principles. Or maybe you simply want a calm place to recuperate after a long day, in which case you may want to consider incorporating plants with calming scents and easy upkeep. No matter what type of therapies you choose to incorporate, the key is to remember that gardening should be enjoyable and beneficial, it should not feel like work. For more ideas on how to make your garden more therapeutic, check out these resources:

  • The American Horticultural Therapy Association's characteristics of therapeutic gardens.
  • The American Society of Landscape Architects website.
  • Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network's Therapeutic Landscapes Network.

REFERENCES

Photo Credit. Annies Gardens. http://www.annies-gardens.com/5-gardening-tips-kids-apply.html.

Gardeners Hand Care Routine.  Garden Therapy.ca. http://gardentherapy.ca/gardeners-hand-care/.

About Horticultural Therapy. American Horticultural Therapy Association. http://ahta.org/horticultural-therapy.

Can Gardening Help Troubled Minds Heal? The Salt. National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/02/17/147050691/can-gardening-help-troubled-minds-heal.

Characteristics of Therapeutic Gardens. The American Horticultural Therapy Association. http://ahta.org/sites/default/files/attached_documents/TherapeuticGardenChracteristic_0.pdf.

American Society of Landscape Architects. http://www.asla.org/PPNIndividualHome.aspx?id=3308.

Therapeutic Landscapes Network. Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network. http://www.healinglandscapes.org/.

Image Attribution: Annies garden (http://www.annies-gardens.com)

Castor Oil Packs

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castor oil pack

Popularized by Edgar Cayce in the early twentieth century, castor oil is a traditional natural remedy that dates back to Ancient Egypt, China, Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome. Castor oil comes from the castor seed of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), a large shrub. Castor oil packs can be applied almost anywhere on the body, including the abdomen and joints. Castor oil packs are often used when treating the symptoms ofconstipation, digestive disorders, menstrual irregularities, uterine and ovarian cysts, bursitis, as part of a liver detox program and for a variety of skin conditions. A 1999 study found that topical use of castor oil stimulates the lymphatic system, helping the body to remove toxins and promote its own healing.

Supplies:

  • 8 oz of cold-pressed, organic castor oil
  • Cotton or wool flannel cloth
  • Glass bowl - large enough to hold cloth
  • Hot water bottle
  • Plastic bag or saran wrap
  • Couple of old towels
  • Clothes that you do mind getting oily

Directions:

  • Place cotton or wool flannel in glass bowl.
  • Pour enough castor oil on cloth to completely saturate, but not so much that it is dripping. You can add it a little at a time. Use your hands to knead the cloth and help it absorb the oil.
  • Fill water bottle with hot water.
  • Put a towel down to protect surfaces where you are doing the castor pack.
  • Place saturated cloth on desired part of body and cover with plastic.
  • Place hot water bottle on top of plastic covered pack.
  • Cover with a towel.
  • Leave pack on 30-60 minutes.
  • Remove pack and cleanse area with a little soap and water.
  • Place cloth in an airtight glass container to be reused for up to 2 weeks.

Do not apply castor oil to broken skin. Do not apply to abdomen in suspected appendicitis. Castor oil should also be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with any medical treatment, it is vital to discuss castor oil treatments with Dr. Bossio before use.


References

Image Attribution: vasantdave/freeimages.com