We’re just starting to build this page, so please check back again soon. If you have a burning question that you don’t see below, contact us and we’ll try to answer you directly or through this page.

Some FAQs that we’re working on include:

What is a therapeutic landscape/restorative landscape/healing garden?

How do I fund/build a healing garden in my community/healthcare facility?

How many healing gardens are there in the United States?

How do I find a designer?

For starters, look at our Designers and Consultants Directory. We are the only existing directoryspecifically for designers and consultants who focus on landscapes for health. There’s even a map to help you find someone in your geographic area.

How can I make my design safe for clients who are immuno-compromised? Infection Control in the Healthcare Setting

For gardens in healthcare facilities, infection control is paramount. Many designers and health and human service providers contact the TLN about how to design the safest gardens possible. We are still building this list of references as well as some guidelines for best practices. We have put an asterix (*) in front of the articles that we think are the most useful.
If you have a reference, an example of a successful case study, or other information to help us build this section, please contact us.

* Chambers, Nancy (2003). “Horticultural Therapy and Infection Control in the Healthcare Environment.” Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, Volume XIV, pp. 56-61.
Synopsis: A horticultural therapist examines the likeliness of hospital patients contracting a disease from nature (eg: Plants, soil, and examines whether or not that probability outweighs the positive healing effects that a little exposure to nature can do for a patient.)

Freije, M. (August 23, 2001). “Decorative fountains in hospitals.” Legionella E-news. www.hcinfo.com/legionella_news_010823.htm (downloaded 4/9/07).

* Gerlach-Spriggs, Nancy J. “Infection Control and Therapeutic Gardens: A Survey of Policies and Practice.” Abstract in Candice Shoemaker (Ed), Interaction by Design, p. 305.

Hlady, W., Mullen, R., Mintz, D., Shellton, B., Hopkins, R. & Daikos, G. (1993). “Outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease linked to decorative fountain by molecular epidemiology.” American Journal of Epidemiology, 138, 555-562. (Abstract)

* Rogers, Juliet L., PhD (2006). “The Debate over Decorative Fountains in Healthcare Environments: How Great is the Infection Control Risk?” Research Design Connections, Winter 1-3.
Click HERE to view a PDF of the article.

Schlech, W. (1990). “Legionella and fountains.” The Lancet, 336, 576.

Sehulster, L., & Chinn, R. (June 6, 2003). “Guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities.” Center for Disease Control, 52 (RR10), 1-42.

* Shepley, Mardelle McCuskey and Peni Wilson (1999). “Designing for Persons with AIDS: A Post-Occupancy Study at the Bailey-Boushay House.” Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring, pp. 17-32.

Taft, Sheila (2008). “The Use of Therapeutic Horticulture in Cancer Support.” Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, Vol. 18, pp. 44-57.