Horticultural Therapy- Therapeutic Activities:
Seeds, Propagation and Transplanting Activities
Source: http://my.chicagobotanic.org/education/therapy/spring-activities/
Horticultural therapy(HT) is the engagement of a patient in gardening-related activities, facilitated by atrained therapist, to attain specific treatment goals. While simple and low-tech, HT is aneffective and beneficial treatmentfor people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
HT has proven positive outcomes. It is non-threatening, encourages social activity, stimulates memory, provides sensory stimulation and exercise, reduces stress and tension, diminishes anger and rewards nurturing behavior.
As a cognitive therapy, horticulture therapy helps patients regain lost skills or learn new ones. When used in physical rehabilitation, HT retrains muscles and improves coordination, balance and strength.
PLANTING SEEDS: Seed planting, or seed germination, activitiesserve an educational and therapeutic purpose.For the educational component, focus on the life cycle of a seed with the group of participants. Visuals, such as a seed germination chart, help participants understandthe process of seed germination. It never ceases to amaze at leastone participant (especially young students) that plants, even those as great as sunflowers, start out as tiny seeds.
Seedlings just starting to sprout.
Therapeutic significance of planting seeds: Seed germination activities allow horticultural therapists to connect the importanceof seed germination and plant care to the care of oneself or others. In health care facilities or special education programs, many individuals are taken care of around-the-clock due to an inability to solely provide for themselves. Something as tiny as a seed carries great significance because it allowsanyone the opportunity to care for a living thing. Participants are educated on appropriate sun exposure (typically on a light cart or windowsill) and watering techniques to guarantee the plant’s health and success. Each participant receives a variety of seedlings to tend to as we approach the planting season. The intent is to enable each individual to care for their own plant so that, when the time comes, it can be combined with other plants to create a beautiful, outdoor therapy garden.
PLANT PROPAGATION: Plant propagationis another great activity for a group of any size or ability.All that is neededare containers, soil, a mother plant and some snips. Some of my favorite plants for plant propagation also add a wonderful sensory component to the activity. Coleus are great plants for propagation and they come in a variety of beautiful colors; succulents propagate easily andcreate fun talking points pertaining todesert plants; lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) adds a tropical element as well as the excitement of a potential beautiful red bloom.
Coleus cuttings for plant propagation.
Therapeutic significance of Plant Propagation: Plant propagation activities can be used to teach valuable lessons in a health care setting.They teach a lesson about taking something old or overgrown to start something fresh and new. This activity can also be paired with a pruning activity to add to its therapeutic benefits. The concept of taking away or lessening a load in order to become morehealthy is a theme that resonates with many horticultural therapy participants.
TRANSPLANTING ACTIVITY: When the time comes to begin planting in the garden, a lesson on transplanting can greatly enhance the garden’s immediate beauty while increasing the feeling of ownershipamong the participants. Ideally, the seedlings and cuttings that were previously done have developed into mature, healthy plants that are ready to transplant into garden beds/containers. Each participant has the opportunity to place their plant(s) in an area of the garden to continue to watch it flourish throughout the growing season.
An HT participant at Shriners Hospital for Children, collecting flowers for the days activity.
Therapeutic significance of transplanting: The feeling of ownership or pride over a space greatly enhances the success of a garden andhorticultural therapy program. When participants get the opportunity to place their own plants within a shared space, their individual ownership and care over the space is heightened. They feel a sense of responsibility, not only for their plant, but for the entire garden. On numerous occasions, I have seen participants pull family members or friends out to “their” garden to show what they’ve planted.