Gardens in Healthcare Facilities: Growing Healing, Hope and Restoration

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:50:12 GMT

On Easter Sunday, at the age of 26 years old, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At the time, the odds of surviving the disease for 5 years or more were 54%. That was 16 years ago. I spent nearly a week in the hospital following my diagnosis in the emergency room, and was encouraged by the many friends and family members that came to see me. And I will never forget the rooftop garden. The flooring, in patterns of color, was made from recycled tires. The plants, both young and mature ones, were full of life. At the risk of personifying, they were joyful, reaching out as if to embrace me. It was in the garden where I cried, reflected on my young life, and contemplated the future. I spent time there alone and also with others. It was an escape from the dull, cold walls of the hospital – a place of respite, a creation abounding in benevolence.

Over the past decade or so, gardens in the hospital and long-term care settings have increased in popularity. The term “healing garden” refers to either indoor or outdoor gardens that offer restorative properties and elicit other positive influences on patients, staff and visitors . They provide opportunities for connecting with nature – a place to walk, read, eat, or just sit or meditate. There is evidence that spending time in gardens can lower stress, boost a person’s mood and improve satisfaction. Gardens may provide an “escape” from adverse hospital environments.

GS&P DIALOGUE - "Landscape Architecture"

Gardens in Healthcare Facilities: Growing Healing, Hope and Restoration