Horticultural Therapy (HT) uses plants, gardens, and other aspects of nature to improve people’s social, spiritual, physical and emotional well-being.
Here are some good organizations to start with:
American Horticulture Therapy Association
www.ahta.org
Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association
www.chta.ca
City Farm
www.resourcecenterchicago.org/70thfarm.html
City Farmer “Urban Agricultural Notes” by City Farmer, Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture, with a large section on horticultural therapy
www.cityfarmer.org/horttherp70.html#hort
Gardening Leave
www.gardeningleave.org
A UK charity founded by Anna Baker Cresswell for ex-Servicemen and
women with PTSD and other mental health issues. The goal is to combat
stress through horticultural therapy activities – growing fruit and
vegetables – in a walled garden setting, where people feel safe and
protected. The program has been developed in accordance with plans by
Combat Stress (Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society). Gardening Leave
commissioned an evaluation of their project,
which you can link to on their website. The title of the report is “An
Evaluation of the Gardening Leave Project for Ex-Military Personnel with
PTSD and Other Combat Related Mental Health Problems,” by Jacqueline
Atkinson, Professor of Mental Health Policy at Glasgow University June
2009.
Farming for Health
www.farmingforhealth.org
Garden Partners
www.gardenpartners.org
Garden Partners provides on-going resources and support to sustain
gardening programs for elders, at-risk children, and veterans.
Partnering with Garden Partners ensures your program will be
comprehensive, sustainable, and supported by the community. The hands-on
process of caring for a garden — no matter how small — helps people
reclaim their joy of life.
German Association for Horticulture and Therapy GGuT
Good links, including international
www.konrad-neuberger.de/english/links/index_links.html
Konrad Neuberger – Psychotherapy HPG: Articles for download
www.konrad-neuberger.de/english/angebote/artikel/index_artikel.html
Horticultural Therapy Institute
www.htinstitute.org
“The Horticultural Therapy Institute is a proven leader in adult
education in the field of horticultural therapy. By offering a series of
AHTA accredited courses, the Institute teaches students to use
gardening activities in health care and human service programs as well
as gardening programs. With recognized curriculum, the Institute offers a
full HT certificate program, customized workshops, in-service training
for health care professionals, program development, seminars, lectures
and continuing education. Academic credit and continuing education units
are also available for all classes through partner, Colorado State
University. Students can take one class, or the full certificate
program. With the unique format, students don’t need to live where the
classes are held. The classes are offered in a four and five-day
intensive format to accommodate those who must travel to attend.”
Human Issues in Horticulture – Horticulture Therapy
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hiih/therapy.asp
KinderGarden Horticultural therapy (and other horticultural information) for children
aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kinder.htm
Michigan Horticultural Therapy Association
www.michiganhta.org
The Michigan Horticultural Therapy Association promotes and
encourages state and regional interest in the development of
horticulture and related activities as a therapeutic and rehabilitative
medium.
The Sensory Trust
www.sensorytrust.org.uk
A charity promoting communication between disability groups and environmental organisations.
Thrive
www.thrive.org.uk
“Using gardening to change lives.” Thrive is a small national
charity, founded in 1978, that uses gardening to change the lives of
disabled people. Our activities are varied but focus on championing the
benefits of gardening to individuals and organizations, as well as
teaching techniques and practical applications so that anyone with a
disability can take part and enjoy gardening. A research programme
underpins Thrive’s work to provide evidence and improve understanding.
Gardening can help individuals accomplish many things. It can help
rebuild a person’s strength after an accident or illness, and can
provide a purposeful activity for someone coping with a difficult period
in their life.
Trellis
www.trellisscotland.org.uk
“Supporting health through horticulture.”
Trellis (The Scottish Therapeutic Gardening network) is the national Scottish charity that supports, promotes, and develops the use of
horticulture to improve health, well-being and life opportunities for
all. Trellis represents over 170 projects across Scotland that use
gardening and associated activities to improve the physical, social
and emotional health of individuals and communities. Trellis brings
people from projects together at their annual conference in March and
holds regular networking meetings throughout the country to share good
practice and inpiration and also run training in a range of topics for
network members. Trellis is also developing the research base in
therapeutic horticulture. The organization was pivotal to creating a
doctorate in therapeutic horticulture at the University of Stirling.
Urban Meadows
www.urbanmeadows.org
Chicago’s Nonprofit Florist: “Assisting the mentally ill in their recovery journey.”