05/09/2025
What is therapeutic horticulture?
Therapeutic horticulture (TH) is a professionally facilitated treatment intervention that uses plant and nature-based activities to work towards the psychological, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, and vocational goals of its participants.
For example, if a therapeutic horticulture practitioner is working with someone who has just had a stroke and experiences weakness on one side of their body, the individual’s personal goals may be to increase their balance, to improve the fine motor skills in their affected hand, and to cope with the sense of loss and grief associated with adjusting to their new level of ability.
Research has shown that there are many gardening activities that provide motivating, fun opportunities to improve balance, fine motor skills, and mental health. TH practitioners personally (or in collaboration with an interdisciplinary treatment team) pinpoint client goals, design plant-based activities that address those goals, and ensure the participants’ safety as they complete them independently or in a group setting.”
The benefits of therapeutic horticulture include (but are not limited to) physical activity, relaxation and enjoyment, skill development, creative expression, sensory stimulation, intellectual, cognitive, and personal growth, social interaction, a sense of productivity and self-satisfaction, a spiritual connection with life, and improved mental health and wellbeing.
Therapeutic horticulture is a low-cost, effective, and versatile modality that enables both individuals and groups to attain personal goals through task adaptation and environmental modification. Therapeutic horticulture sessions typically last 45-60 minutes, and TH activities can be applied to almost all situations, indoors or outdoors.
source : North Carolina Botanical Garden
