“Isn’t every garden a healing garden?” Part I

August 23, 2008 | by


According to my definition, a Landscape for Health could be a garden designed specifically for healing, like for a hospital or nursing home (see above), and it could also be any number of other landscapes, designed or “natural,” as long as they make people feel good (in technical terms, Landscapes for Health bring “positive outcomes” that reduce negative factors like stress, high blood pressure, and anti-social behavior, and instead encourage positive and restorative factors like fascination, wonder, healthy social interaction, relaxation and/or physical activity, and a general sense of well-being). A stretch of beach; a clearing in the woods; a park in a city (Central Park being a supreme example); a community garden; a backyard sanctuary; Francie’s fire escape in Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; a memorial; an indoor atrium that stays green and lush even when it’s -30 degrees and sleeting outside. Get the picture?  


Central Park, NY, NY

Couldn’t that be just about any landscape, the slightly vexed reporter asked? This is similar to my most-frequently-asked question, which is “isn’t every garden (or landscape) a healing garden?” to which I unfortunately have to answer no. There are plenty of landscapes, both designed and undesigned, that are not conducive to our health and well-being. A few examples that spring to mind would be (see below) most parking lots; many urban and suburban landscapes, including streetscapes; most quarries, clear-cut sections of forests, superfund sites, and other damaged landscapes (brownfields); most of New Mexico in March when the juniper pollen renders anyone even slightly allergic into a tired, sniffling, eye-watering, blubbering mess; and, sadly, many designed gardens, sometimes even ASLA award-winning, magazine-published spaces (yup, just because it looks good in print doesn’t mean it feels good to be there). 



Photo of California foothills housing by Alex Maclean – 

There are plenty of landscapes, and even gardens, that at best are not salutary, and at worst are actually harmful to our physical, emotional, and even spiritual health. So, smarty-pants, you may be wondering, how do you differentiate Landscapes for Health from “healing gardens?” Stay tuned, I’ll try to answer that one tomorrow.

Psst! Wanna buy a book?

August 18, 2008 | by

If you’re looking for good books on Landscapes for Health, I’ve just added a new feature to the Therapeutic Landscapes Database that allows you to link directly to Amazon.com to buy recommended books. I’ll be adding more books to more pages (like books on labyrinths and attracting wildlife to the Plants and  Related pages), so check back again soon.

Highest on my Recommended Reading list is Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations, edited by Clare Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes (Wiley, 1999), and not just because I wrote the chapter on psychiatric hospitals. 

Healing Gardens is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive book in this field. In addition to chapters on specific populations/types of facilities such as children’s hospitals (by Robin Moore), nursing homes (by Deborah McBride), Alzheimer’s treatment facilities (by John Zeisel and Martha Tyson), hospices (by Clare Marcus), and psychiatric hospitals (Naomi Sachs) – and each one of these chapters has historical background, literature review, case studies, and design recommendations – Marcus and Barnes also include an excellent introductory chapter; a chapter by Roger Ulrich on theory and research; and a chapter called “Getting It Done,” which I always direct people to if they’re thinking about building a healing garden at their facility. Lots of good information on fundraising and other nuts and bolts aspects. You can see a couple excerpts of it here, as well as write up by Todd Bressi and comments by jury members when the book won an award (EDRA/Places Awards for Design, Planning, and Research) in 2000.

One caveat: I recommend this book highly to designers, health and human services practitioners, and students. It’s an excellent resource, like a textbook. However, as Henry Domke pointed out in his review of the book on his Healthcare Fine Art Blog, it’s rich in information, somewhat poor in pictures. If you are a home gardener who wants beautiful photos and text that will inspire you for your own garden, this is not your book. For that, I would recommend the following five books, all of which I have and refer to again and again: 

1. The Healing Garden, by Sue Minter
2. Healing Gardens, by Romy Rawlings
3. Gardens for the Soul, by Pamela Woods
4. The Healing Garden, by David Squire
5. The Healing Garden, by Gay Search

Happy shopping, happy reading.

What’s the Difference? Real Nature vs. Views of Nature vs. Pictures of Nature

August 9, 2008 | by

One of Henry Domke’s recent blog postings got me thinking again about this question of the experience of nature–real nature vs. views of real nature from a window (as was the case with Roger Ulrich’s 1984 “View From a Window” study*), vs. the view of an image of nature, which Ulrich and others have also studied. Each has proven, quantitatively and qualitatively (or empirically and anecdotally) to be beneficial, and more beneficial than, say, looking at a brick wall or being inside of a cubicle all day long, but how do they differ? Is there a hierarchy in terms of positive outcomes? 

My guess would be that the most benefits would be derived from a person actually being outside, as the Kaplans would probably argue; that the second-most effective option would be a real view of nature, as was the case with Ulrich’s study; and that pictures of nature, while perhaps not as effective as being in nature or viewing real nature out the window, are an effective in concert with the first two, or if the first two are not possible (see here and here for a couple of good articles on pictures of nature).

But we need more research to really find out. Of course, there are also the finer questions within this question about what kind of nature, what kind of views out the window, what kinds of pictures of nature…if anyone knows of some good studies that have already been done, please do send them my way and I will highlight them on the blog and on the Therapeutic Landscapes Database.

*Ulrich, Roger S. (1984). “View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery.” Science, Vol. 224, No. 4647, April 27, pp. 420-421.

Hot Off the Press: Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture 07-08

August 7, 2008 | by

Once again, The Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, published by AHTA, has come out with an excellent publication chock-full of good information (they don’t have an online version yet, but that’s in the works for the future). Kudos to Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth R. Messer Diehl for all of her hard and good work. I’ve been more involved with the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) since joining the editorial review board last year, and I have to say, I think all landscape architects interested in designing Landscapes for Health should also be members of AHTA. They’ve really got their act together, and as with the Center for Health Design and the Environmental Research Design Association (EDRA), there is a lot of crossover for designers. 
Here are some of the articles in this year’s Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture:
“Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Preventing the Decline of Mental Abilities of Patients with Alzheimer’s Type Dementia,” by Sonia J. D’Andrea, Mitchell Batavia, and Nicole Sasson
“Affordances of Ward and Garden in the Restorative Process of Hospitalized Children,” by Ismail Said and Mohd Sarofil Abu Bakar
“The Psychosocial Benefits of Exposure to Natural Settings in Long-Term Care: An Evaluation of the Wellness Garden Program at Glacier Hills Retirement Community,” by Suzanne Perry Slavens
“The Use of Therapeutic Horticulture in Cancer Support,” by Sheila B. Taft
“Development of Assessment Standards and a Computerized Assessment Tool for Use in Prevocational Horticulture Training Programs for Head-Injured Individuals,” by P.N. Williams, C. Kissel Bales, T.M. Waliczek, and J.M. Zajicek
AHTA Annual Conference Abstracts: “Harvesting Best Practices in Horticultural Therapy.”
While some of these articles are more specific to Hort Therapy, many are also useful to designers in helping to answer questions about what types of spaces are most appropriate for the populations that we serve.  

“Healing Environment” vs. “Healthy Environment”

August 1, 2008 | by

Okay, I know it was three months ago, but I just came across this interesting discussion on the terminology of “healing environments” vs. “healthy environments” from the Center for Health Design Blog: http://www.healthdesign.org/blog/234.php. Plus it gives me the excuse to post another picture from Maine:) 

Substituting the word “garden” for “environment” (“healing gardens” vs. “healthy gardens”) helped to clarify it for me. We in the landscape architecture and healthcare design community are still searching for one overarching term and definition for outdoor spaces that promote and facilitate health and well-being. I often use the term “Landscapes for Health” because 
1. It is broad enough to cover any outdoor (and even some indoor) spaces; 
2. It can mean a designed or totally “natural” landscape; and 
3. It can include both passive and active enjoyment of and benefit from contact with nature (e.g., just sitting on the rocks above, breathing in the fresh air and salt water, or gardening at a hospital as part of a horticultural therapy program). 

What say you, dear reader? Healing garden, restorative landscape, landscape for health – what term do you think best sums it all up?

July 29, 2008 | by

Just back from a week in Maine, my first real vacation in four years. A relief to get out of the sticky Hudson Valley high summer heatwave and up to the cooler climate and untamed nature farther north. One highlight of the trip was an overnight stay on Monhegan Island, where I took this picture. What constantly impressed me, about the flora as well as the fauna (humans included!), is how living things take advantage of whatever growing medium and season they have. Lichen growing on and in even the smallest crevices of rocks, seagulls hunting and caring for their fluffy grey young, humans reveling in the bounty of the season at farmers’ markets. In Maine, there’s no time for the nonsense that we so often get caught up in. The place is remote, the winters are long and harsh. Everything seems to be saying, “This is my life, I’d better make the most of it.” May Sarton, one of my favorite Maine writers, was an avid gardener, and viewed the act of gardening as a way of staying in touch with the rhythms and demands of nature. Here’s how she put it:
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

Information needed, and a favorite children’s and rooftop garden

July 19, 2008 | by

I got a request recently from someone who is looking for examples of children’s hospital gardens with rooftop conservatories (in other words, an enclosed space on a rooftop at a children’s hospital). I’ve found many examples of children’s gardens, rooftop gardens, and conservatories, but so far haven’t found all three in one. Anyone out there know of an example? If so, please share by posting a comment! 


In the meantime, here’s an image of one of my favorite children’s gardens that is also one of my favorite rooftop hospital gardens, the Olson Family Garden at the Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO (got the image from the Waymarking website: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3NPR).

Landscape Architecture Magazine did a nice article on the garden in 2002, which you can read online: http://www.asla.org/lamag/lam02/may02/feature2.html.

Also, here’s a video clip about it: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7GrAsJnY2ww&feature=user.  

I visited this garden a few years ago during the ASLA annual meeting with Roger Ulrich, Virginia Burt, Jack Carman, and other colleagues and we were all so impressed. While we were there, a nurse led a small child–who was recovering from severe burns–around the garden. We were moved to see this young patient, wrapped in bandages, maneuvering about the garden, touching the fountains, looking at the flowers, and generally interacting with the world despite the pain. For me, it was one of those “ah-hah” moments when what you do moves beyond the realm of the theoretical and academic. Yes, gardens really are important, especially in hospitals, and they really do make a difference in people’s lives.

I’ll be in Maine for a week starting Monday, with limited internet access, so this is my last post until next week. When I return, I hope to see lots of comments in response to this blog post!

July 12, 2008 | by

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ at Madison Square Garden, NY, NY



“Green is the fresh emblem of well-founded hopes. 
In blue, the spirit can wander but in green it can rest.”

-Mary Webb



The Highest Praise: A Patient Recommends Woodwinds Health Campus

June 25, 2008 | by

I got an email last week from someone recommending that Woodwinds Health Campus be added to the Therapeutic Landscapes Database Gardens page. I often get email of this nature, from the landscape architect or someone in marketing, but this was from a patient! Here’s what he wrote:

“I just stumbled upon your web site. I live in Minnesota and my area hospital, Woodwinds Health Campus, is situated in a beautiful wooded area surrounded by SIX “healing gardens” with walking paths and places to stop and meditate. It should certainly be part of your list! And no, I’m not an employee! Just a patient. It feels more like a resort there than a hospital…”
If that’s not high praise for a healthcare facility’s healing garden, I don’t know what is.

I’ll be posting again with more specifics on their gardens soon, (their website gives more information than most healthcare facilities, but I want to know and tell you more) so stay tuned for Woodwinds, Part II. 

Field Trip! Open Garden Days, Oregon Burn Center

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When people ask me for good examples of healing gardens, I always cite the gardens at Legacy Health System‘s health centers in Portland, OR. Their Oregon Burn Center garden is no exception, but unlike some of the other gardens, this one is not usually open to the public.

So, here’s your chance: Open Garden days in July and August. If you can visit, do! If I didn’t live 3,000 miles away, I’d be there in a New York minute. Here’s their press release, just sent to me by Teresia Hazen, Legacy’s amazing horticultural therapist:

“Join us for Open Garden at the Oregon Burn Center on Monday, July 14, 2008 and Monday, August 25, 11:30 – 1:00. Watch the growth of this four-year-old award-winning garden. We will celebrate the recent story of the garden in Landscape Architecture Magazine, April 2008. http://www.legacyhealth.org/documents/Gardens/OBCgarden.pdf

Enjoy garden tours, gardening education, nature craft activities and more. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the garden. Bring your camera for great photos.

Garden is located at 3001 N. Gantenbein on the Emanuel Hospital campus. Enter through the two garden gates marked with balloons. This is a secured garden and only open to the public for these two special event dates.

For more information, please call 503-413-6507.”

Landscape Architecure Magazine published an article about the garden in April, written by UC Berkeley Professor Emerita (and my mentor) Clare Cooper Marcus: “For Burn Patients, A Place to Heal.” The garden was designed by Landscape Architect Brian Bainnsonof Quatrefoil, Inc. and Horticultural Therapist Teresia Hazen.

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