blog « Therapeutic Landscapes Network

Therapeutic Gardens in San Diego – Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital

November 8, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Sharp Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital, Don Allen Memorial Garden. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Bridge over koi pond in the Don Allen Memorial Garden, Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital.

Our second stop on the “meeting before the meeting” tour of gardens at healthcare facilities in the San Diego area (with the ASLA Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network, organized by Chris Garcia) was the Don Allen Memorial Courtyard at the Sharp Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital. The garden was designed by Schmidt Design Group and was built in 2010.

Don Allen Memorial Garden, Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital, San Diego, CA.

This courtyard garden serves the part of the hospital devoted to substance abuse patients. I believe that some are in- and some are out-patients, but don’t quote me on that.

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Therapeutic Gardens in San Diego – San Diego Hospice

November 7, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

San Diego Hospice, pergola at entrance. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Before the official start of the ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) conference last week, I had the good fortune of attending a “meeting before the meeting” tour of several gardens at healthcare facilities in the San Diego area with the ASLA Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network. Chris Garcia did an amazing job of planning the tour and coordinating the entire day. Kudos to Chris and to all of the good people who opened their doors and let us tromp through their facilities, asking millions of questions and taking lots of pictures.

In the next couple of blog posts, I’ll share some impressions and photos from our tour, in chronological order of what we visited.

No, this is not a luxury hotel, these are the rooms, w/ balconies, at the San Diego Hospice. Photo by Naomi Sachs

San Diego Hospice

Garden type: Hospice “tribute garden”
Designers: Wimmer, Yamada and Caughey
Built: 2000
Visiting: As this is a hospice, you should definitely call first if you’d like to visit.

The following is an excerpt from the article “Hospital Gardens That Help Heal,” by E’Louise Ondash, RN

Peggy Lee, RN, a staff nurse for 15 years at the Inpatient Care Center at San Diego Hospice, has no doubt that its Tribute Garden serves as a place where patients, families and staff can rest and renew.

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New TLN page on water in the landscape

October 31, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Hibiscus pond. Photo by Henry Domke, www.henrydomke.com

TLN Blog posts have been few and far between (or is that far and few between?) these days. Much traveling and presenting at conferences, including yesterday at the annual ASLA meeting and expo here in San Diego. Here’s a blog post from a month or so ago about our presentation and also what other events might be of interest to our members: ASLA Meeting & Expo! Good stuff this year, and in San Diego.

Jack Carman, Clare Cooper Marcus, and I presented yesterday about water – its role in the landscape as a restorative element; the role that sound plays (original research by Clare); and issues of risk, safety and maintenance, including some preliminary original research by me. Some of our presentation will be available online, and all of the resources we refer to will be online on a special designated TLN page. It’s already up, www.healinglandscapes.org/resources/water, and we’ll be adding more resources and references after the conference. Check it out, and check back for updates.

Wordless Wednesday, 10/26/11 – Autumn Crocus

October 26, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Autumn crocus at The High Line, New York, NY. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Wordless Wednesday, 10/19/11 – October color

October 19, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

October color at Stonecrop Gardens, Cold Spring, NY. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Autumn color doesn’t just come in leaves; it comes in berries, branches, late-blooming flowers and, of course, that brilliant blue October sky.

Once upon a time, when I photographed this shrub in 2009, I knew what it was. Now I can’t remember. If you know, please leave a comment below.

Updated LATIS Publication on Therapeutic Garden Design

October 18, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Late-season bumble bee, Stonecrop Gardens, Cold Spring, NY. Photo by Naomi Sachs

From ASLA’s LAND e-news:

ASLA has released an updated version of a publication in the Landscape Architecture Technical Information Series (LATIS): the “LATIS Forum on Therapeutic Garden Design, 2nd Edition.” The paper highlights the benefits provided by therapeutic outdoor environments in a variety of settings and underscores their importance to people’s health and well-being at all stages of life.

The authors are Marni Barnes, ASLA; Jack Carman, FASLA; Nancy Carman; Nancy Chambers; Clare Cooper Marcus, Honorary ASLA; Nilda G. Cosco, Affiliate ASLA; Mark Epstein, ASLA; Sonja Johansson, FASLA; Jean Stephans Kavanagh, FASLA; Don Luymes; Patrick F. Mooney, ASLA; and Robin C. Moore, Affiliate ASLA.

In addition to updates provided by the authors, this LATIS has been evaluated for Professional Development Hours (PDH) under the guidelines of the LA CES (Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System) program. The update of this paper is part of an ongoing ASLA project to review content and reevaluate PDH of older LATIS publications. ASLA members and nonmembers can download LATIS papers at no charge from the ASLA website. Download is free for members [and the fee for non-members is $50] ; members and nonmembers pay a small fee to take an exam and receive PDH credit for each LATIS read.

Click on the ASLA LATIS page to download the publication.

As a teaser, here’s the Table of Contents:

PART ONE: Therapeutic Gardens in Healthcare Settings

A Thumbnail History of Therapeutic Gardens in Healthcare
The Role of Gardens in the Therapeutic Milieu of Healthcare Facilities
Gardens in Acute Care Settings: Principles and Practice
A Children’s PlayGarden at a Rehabilitation Hospital: A Successful Collaboration Produces a Successful Outcome

PART TWO: Environmental Sources of Wellbeing

Therapeutic Landscapes in the Public Realm: Foundations for Vancouver’s Wellness Walkways
Well-being by Nature: Therapeutic Gardens for Children
Therapeutic Gardens in Assisted Living Communities
The Power of Landscapes

Autumn and Albert Camus

October 14, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Fall maple by Henry Domke, http://henrydomke.com

Fall maple photo by Henry Domke, www.henrydomke.com

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
– Albert Camus

Restorative Landscapes at Greenbuild this week!

October 4, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Sand River Forest. Photo by Henry Domke, www.henrydomke.com

Tomorrow at Greenbuild, this year in beautiful Toronto, Zolna Russell of Hord Coplan Macht, Peter Schaudt of Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects, and I will be presenting “The Human Connection: Landscapes That Promote Health and Well-Being.”

Here’s the session description:

It is well known that humans benefit from exposure and connection to nature. LEED has acknowledged this and requires projects to create meaningful outdoor spaces. This seminar will explore the documented benefits of landscapes for health which are designed using evidence based design. Case studies of several landscape settings including healthcare, school environments and public spaces will demonstrate the principles and outcomes of evidence based design and specific characteristics which make projects successful.

I’m hoping that they tape the session so that we can share it as a resource on the Therapeutic Landscapes Network website. I’ll be sure to let you know. Won’t be blogging much this week, but I’ll be posting updates on sessions through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, so be sure to check there.

Wordless Wednesday, 9/28/11 – Little green bouquet

September 28, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Clover in a black locust stump. Photo by Naomi Sachs

American Horticultural Therapy Association conference

September 26, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

2011 AHTA Annual Conference
Recovery & Rehabilitation: The Role of Horticultural Therapy in the Therapeutic Community
October 21 – 23, 2011
Asheville, North Carolina

This year’s AHTA (American Horticultural Therapy Association) Annual Conference will be held in Asheville, North Carolina, from 10/21-10/23. The conference is always chock-full of good speakers and information, and is a great way to meet like-minded professionals in healthcare, design, and related fields. This year’s keynote speaker is Sharon Young, Ph.D., Chief Recovery Program Officer & Clinical Psychologist at CooperRiis Healing Farm. Dr. Young’s presentation, “How to Become a Recovery Revolutionary,” will open the program at the Crowne Plaza Resort.

The tours are always excellent and highly recommended as a way to immerse yourself before the conference begins. Pre-tours will be held on Friday, October 21, and conference presentations will be on Saturday and Sunday, October 22 and 23, 2011.

Visit the AHTA website for more details and to register for the conference.

The AHTA website is also a great resource for information about horticultural therapy, for those who know almost nothing about it to those who practice and want to stay informed on the latest research and innovations.