The Holden Arboretum Horticultural Therapy Program
The Horticultural Therapy Program enables individuals with special needs to benefit from therapy through horticulture by engaging professionals in educational programs, providing therapeutic programming and instigating research.
The American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA)
defines horticultural
therapy as, "a discipline that uses plants, gardening activities and the natural
world as vehicles for professionally conducted programs in therapy and
rehabilitation." Horticultural therapy (HT) is applied in a variety institutions
including hospitals, correctional facilities and vocational programs. The
therapeutic benefits of horticulture can enhance social development,
psychological well-being and physical rehabilitation.
Holden’s
Horticultural Therapy Program serves as a resource center in Northeastern Ohio,
providing training programs for area health care staff, student internships,
program development services and direct programming
opportunities for health
care organizations. Holden facilitates the establishment and continuation of
horticulture programs. Special events in the community provide opportunities to
raise public awareness about accessible gardening techniques and vocational and
recreational opportunities for people with disabilities in horticulture, as well
as the use of horticulture in rehabilitation programs.
Holden’s Horticultural Therapy Programs in the Community and our gardens:
Looking aHead
is an out-patient program at Menorah Park Center for
Senior Living for adults with traumatic brain injury who wish to return to
work. Participants work with Holden’s horticultural therapist on vocational
skills through planning and organizing the sale of plants or products made from
plants they’ve grown. The sessions focus on
interpersonal and problem-solving
skills, work adjustment and other life skills needed to successfully re-enter
the community.
Participants in Menorah Park Center for Senior Living’s Adult Day Center enjoy the horticultural therapy program provided by Holden. In keeping with the seasons, sessions provide opportunities for socializing, reminiscing and engaging in creative plant based activities.
The horticultural therapy program run by Holden at Euclid Hospital’s Acute Rehabilitation Center takes place indoors or outdoors in the accessible garden with a beautiful view of Lake Erie. Patients recovering from disabling injuries or illnesses work on restoring body, mind and spirit through horticultural therapy in conjunction with occupational, physical and recreational therapies. Patients learn to cope with their health issues while focusing on the necessary physical skills needed to transition home.
At The Gathering Place, coping with growth, change and new beginnings is a part of gardening and a part of the cancer experience. Holden provides programs for adults and children in The Gathering Place’s healing garden as well as in their home-like indoor spaces throughout the year.
The Garden Partner Program fosters partnerships between individuals with disabilities and community volunteers, which makes this community integration/re-entry program successful. Participants assist Holden’s horticulture staff in the maintenance of the Display Garden. While the disabilities may include mental retardation and/or physical impairments, a level of independence is attained by taking public transportation and fitting into the traditional volunteer role. Ultimately, people and plants bloom.
Program Services:
Presentations and workshops for professionals and volunteers: Provides information regarding specific application of horticultural therapy principles through seminars and workshop sponsored by Holden and/or private groups
Student Interns: university student, 6 months, paid.
Staff In-service: Provided on special request or to agencies participating in ongoing programs
Consultations:
Short Term - 1-2 meetings with staff to give general guidelines for solving specific problems
Long Term
- "Direct Care
Contracts" are available to provide therapeutic services directly to client
groups. "New
Program Development Contracts" include staff training sessions as
well as ongoing activity sessions with clients for the period of one year.
"Follow-up Contracts" for a year are also available.
For more
information, please contact:
Karen L. Kennedy, HTR
The Holden Arboretum
9500 Sperry Road
Kirtland, OH 44094
440-946-4400
e-mail kkennedy@holdenarb.org
Accessible Gardening
Making gardening accessible includes consideration of bed design, pathway design and material, and tool adaptations.
Tools for Enabling Gardeners:
Most gardeners take great care in selecting the best tool to do the job easily and efficiently. For gardeners who are getting older or who have physical limitations, tools can make the difference between a frustrating, miserable chore and an enjoyable, satisfying task.
Weight and ease of manipulation are primary features to consider. Gardeners who work from a seated position will find hand tools with longer handles extend their reach. Extensions of 14-18" allows a comfortable reach into raised beds and containers. Handles of 30" and 38" are also available for standing gardeners to work without bending. Some tool companies sell hand tools with interchangeable handles to accommodate a variety of needs. A light-weight hand tool on the end of a long handle can be ideal for gardeners with limited strength. Trowels, garden and leaf rakes and dibbles are among the available tools in these sets.
Simply building up the handles of ordinary tools with foam rubber or pipe insulation makes a tool easier for arthritic hands and weak grips. The ergonomically designed "Handform Trowel" is designed such that a tight grip is not necessary to push it into the soil.
Pruning and harvesting cut flowers or herbs can be done more easily with a "cut and hold flower gatherer." It makes cutting and retrieving flowers easy whether they are high above your head or at ground level.
Enabling tools are not necessarily special tools, but rather tools chosen especially for the individual gardener. Consult your local garden center for tools to meet your own needs or refer to a catalog company.