Education — Horticultural Therapy Services

Planning for Therapeutic Gardens and Landscapes

PHOTO: planning your garden Transform your facility's existing outdoor space into an environment that stimulates the senses and enhances the quality of life for clients, visitors and staff. A garden or restorative landscape can serve as a place for recreation, leisure and therapy at your site. A regular schedule of therapeutic activities in this natural setting can maximize the benefits to the minds, bodies and spirits of your clients.

The internationally recognized Horticultural Therapy Services staff at the Chicago Botanic Garden has offered consulting services to healthcare, social service and design professionals for nearly three decades. Staff members have the knowledge and experience to help you plan a successful therapeutic environment and program at your site.

Creating a Therapeutic Environment

For Agency and Organization Staff:
The ideal therapeutic environment would include a garden, landscape or indoor plant growing space combined with a regular program of gardening and therapeutic plant activities that address the needs of your clients. While this may sound overwhelming, you can bring this vision to life at your site with the help of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The following programs are designed with your needs in mind. They will show you how to create a natural environment and plant-based therapeutic programs that responds to your site and your clients. In each of the customized workshops, a Garden representative will introduce you to the tools, resources, programming, staffing, funding and other elements needed to make your program a success. Each program requires a series of three to eight half-day sessions tailored to fit your needs. Upon completion, you will have in hand a realistic concept plan that will enable you to communicate your expectations to a designer, construction company and potential funders, ultimately leading to an environment that supports your therapeutic goals.

Planning a Restorative Landscape
Get started planning a therapeutic garden or landscape with thoughtful, inclusive planning. Experience a participatory design process that considers your needs and the therapeutic programs you want to offer at your facility. At the conclusion of this program, you will have a clear idea of which garden or landscape features will work best for the participants at your facility.

Designing and Programming an Enabling Garden
Virtually everyone can garden with the help of raised beds and containers, vertical gardening techniques, advanced tools and an engaging, structured program. Gain a clear understanding of what an outdoor space needs in order to provide safe and comfortable gardening experiences for your clients. Also, learn how an enabling garden can advance your individual and group treatment plans or basic leisure opportunities. A visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Buehler Enabling Garden is included.

Developing a Successful Horticultural Therapy Program
Acquire the skills and confidence to incorporate therapeutically grounded horticultural activities into a regular program at your facility. Learn how to select and care for plants, what equipment and supplies to choose, how to develop plant-based activity plans and how to adapt gardening activities to special needs.

For more information, call (847) 835-8250 or email horttherapy@chicagobotanic.org.