Horticultural Therapy Contract Services, with 30 years of programming experience, is uniquely prepared to train your staff to sustain a program, or Garden staff can assume total program responsibility as an outsource service. This program uses the general popularity of plants and gardening to engage participants in meaningful activity. Once individuals are involved, the therapeutic benefits of working with plants to restore physical and mental health quickly become evident.

Horticultural Therapy Contract Services supplies all materials necessary for weekly activity sessions that are therapeutically grounded and adaptable to a wide range of participant functional and cognitive abilities. Session leadership generally rotates on alternate weeks between Garden staff, horticultural therapists/volunteers, and your agency staff/volunteers.

Activities, which may vary as new ideas are tested and incorporated into the program, may include the following:

• Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Gardening
• Indoor Plant Maintenance and Care
• Fresh or Dried Flower Arranging
• Creating Holiday Decorations
• Herbal Crafts
• Forcing Flowering Bulbs

The Chicago Botanic Garden offers the following 45-minute session options to a maximum of 15 participants. All materials are included.