There’s something about gardening, about digging in the dirt, that can be calming. That smell of fresh soil and the fragrance of a blooming flower can clear the mind. So it’s no surprise that many people are continuing to find a sense of peace and place for meditation in the garden.
Plymouth resident and Master Gardener Heidi Heiland believes so much in the healing power of gardening that she’s exploring the growing world of horticultural therapy. “[Gardening] is my meditative time,” she says. “It grounds you, it helps you stay whole, and it helps you let your grievances go.”
Beyond meditation, horticultural therapy has begun to see real use in Plymouth’s neighboring suburbs; in 1992 the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska launched an entire program devoted to the therapy led by horticultural therapist Jean Larson, the so-called local guru in the field.
Larson, who has a doctorate in education with an emphasis on horticultural therapy, describes the arboretum’s program as “the purposeful use of plants and plant-related activities, bringing about measurable health and wellbeing in people.
“Horticultural therapy is on a continuum of service,” she says. On one end is therapeutic treatment intervention with specific treatment goals and objectives. On the other is the more social or recreational therapy with group-oriented goals and purposes.
There are a variety of benefits springing forth from horticultural therapy. For example, planting seeds hones fine motor skills, touching on the physical benefits. And working alongside others to share that same task of planting brings social benefits. As you care for and nurture the seeds to fruition, psychological benefits can be found. And following those specific tasks while learning about what the plant needs to survive brings cognitive benefits—all from simply planting a seed.
This all might seem obvious, but for Larson, horticultural therapy has become a passion. “I like working with people and seeing them come into relationship with the earth and give care to it as they learn to give care to themselves,” she says, noting they have noticeable “ah-ha” moments every day.
Through the arboretum you can experience horticultural therapy in a variety of ways. The program’s educational component consists of a graduate-level certificate of completion, accredited with the American Horticultural Therapy Association (ahta.org), including courses taught through the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota.
The arboretum also facilitates an outreach program in the Clotilde Irvine Sensory Garden. “It’s a display of garden-accessible design and sensory plants,” Larson says. Or you can attend periodic symposiums and workshops on horticultural therapy.
Plymouth resident Elaine Anderson also knows the importance of horticultural therapy, drawing from her experiences as a registered nurse (who is also well-versed in complementary and integrative healing practices), an avid hobby gardener and a certified Feng Shui consultant, specializing in the Feng Shui of gardens and landscapes as well as healing spaces.
Anderson explains that therapeutic design is often used in gardens at senior citizen housing, nursing homes and centers that treat people with emotional traumas. “In the best examples, the landscapes are designed so that people of all abilities can actively participate with the garden, actually being able to work the soil,” she says.
In fact, Plymouth has a healing space of its own—the Millennium Garden labyrinth. Labyrinths have been used for thousands of years as tools for meditation, introspection and prayer. When walking through a labyrinth, you follow a path from the outside into the center and then back out again, the many turns and changes of direction helping to break patterns in your mind.
Set within the larger garden setting, Plymouth’s labyrinth invites people to step out of their busy routines and replace them with what Anderson calls a “healing moment,” inspired through the peace of a therapeutic garden.
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As part of the therapeutic horticulture certificate program, Jean Larson is offering a summer class at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. The class, titled Applications in Therapeutic Horticulture, runs from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. June 13 through August 19. Register with Carla Mantel at 612.624.5166.
Good Reads on Horticultural Therapy
Courtesy of Bachman’s in Plymouth
Creating Eden: The Garden as a Healing Space by Marilyn Barrett, PhD
The Able Gardener by Kathleen Yeomans
Horticulture as Therapy: A Practical Guide to Using Horticulture as a Therapeutic Tool by Mitchell Hewson
