Horticulture and its health benefits

What is Horticulture:

Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of vegetable garden plant growing. It includes the cultivation of medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and non-food crops such as grass and ornamental trees and plants. It also includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design, construction, and maintenance, and arboriculture. Inside agriculture, horticulture contrasts with extensive field farming as well as animal husbandry.

Horticulturists apply their knowledge, skills, and technologies used to grow intensively produced plants for human food and non-food uses and for personal or social needs. Their work involves plant propagation and cultivation with the aim of improving plant growth, yields, quality, nutritional value, and resistance to insects, diseases, and environmental stresses. They work as gardeners, growers, therapists, designers, and technical advisors in the food and non-food sectors of horticulture.

Horticultural Therapy:

Introduction and History:

Horticulture is the art and science of growing plants. Horticultural therapy is the practice of engaging people in plant or gardening activities to improve their bodies, minds, and spirits. Research confirms that healthful benefits accrue when people connect with plants by viewing, planting, growing, and/or caring for them.

Horticulture has been used as therapy for centuries. In 1798, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, documented that gardening improved the conditions of mentally ill patients. Gardening as a means of physical and occupational rehabilitation was used in U.S. Veterans Administration hospitals for returning World War II veterans. The concept of using nature to improve human health and well-being gained credibility through research in the '70s and '80s.

Today, horticultural therapy is a worldwide practice now recognized as an effective treatment for clients of all ages and abilities. It is used in rehabilitation and vocational centers, youth outreach programs, nursing homes and other types of senior facilities, hospitals (especially Veterans Administration facilities), hospices, homeless shelters, substance abuse centers, prisons, schools, mental health centers, and botanical gardens. Four distinct program types, as defined by AHTA, are used to provide horticultural therapy for special populations in this vast array of settings:

Horticultural Therapy – The engagement of a client in horticultural activities facilitated by a trained therapist to achieve specific and documented treatment goals. AHTA believes that horticultural therapy is an active process that occurs in the context of an established treatment plan where the process itself is considered the therapeutic activity rather than the end product.

Therapeutic Horticulture – A process through which participants strive to improve their well-being through active or passive involvement with plants and plant-related activities. In a therapeutic horticulture program, goals are not clinically defined and documented, but the leader has training in the use of horticulture as a medium for human well-being.

Social or Community Horticulture – A leisure or recreational activity related to plants and gardening. A typical community garden or garden club is a good example of a social horticulture setting. No treatment goals are defined, no therapist is present, and the focus is on social interaction and horticulture activities.

Vocational Horticulture – A vocational horticulture program, which is often a major component of a horticultural therapy program, focuses on providing training that enables individuals to work in the horticulture industry professionally, either independently or semi-independently. These individuals may or may not have some type of disability. Vocational horticultural programs may be found in schools, residential or rehabilitation facilities, and prisons, among other places.

Health Benefits of Horticultural Therapy:

Empirical research has proven the benefits of horticultural therapy in many areas:

Physical

- Improves strength, stamina and mobility

- Increases energy and endurance

- Exercises hand-eye coordination

Social

- Encourages social interaction

- Improves coping skills and motivation

- Helps build good work habits and attitudes

Psychological

- Reduces anxiety, stress, and tension

- Increases confidence and hopefulness

- Rewards nurturing behavior

- Stimulates senses through observing, touching, tasting, and smelling plants

Cognitive

- Improves concentration and ability to focus

- Teaches new skills and provides job training

- Improves problem-solving and planning skills

- Exercises the memory and promotes positive thinking

While people can benefit from simply viewing and growing plants, the benefits of people-plant interactions can be focused and enhanced with guidance from a horticultural therapist. Adaptive tools and therapeutic gardens can provide an even greater degree of accessibility and therapeutic benefit.