1. Sample Horticulture Programmes
Our Vision: To enrich peoples' lives through the therapeutic GardenWell offers the following 45-minute session options to
joys of gardening. To be inclusive, respective and caring to all a maximum of 10 participants. All materials are included.
people at any stage of live.
I Outdoor Gardening Programme 20 sessions
GA RD E N W E L L’S V I SI ON II Indoor Gardening Programme 20 sessions
US ING N AT U R E TO NUR T UR E III Year-Round Gardening Programme 40 sessions
Providing a supportive, professional and positive social and
Six-Month Outdoor Gardening Programme
therapeutic horticulture programme, we aim to lighten the
20 weeks (20 sessions)
load of everyday life, to spark an unknown interest or passion
GardenWell will work together with your staff to locate,
and allow each person to blossom in there own way and time.
design and install an outdoor garden area.
• Activities with program participants begin with outdoor
garden planting
• Cost covers consumable materials (soil, pots, plants, etc.)
for up to 10 participants per session, and outdoor garden
installation (labour and materials)
• The program extends over six months, factoring in
planning time.
Social &
Therapeutic
Six-Month Indoor Gardening Program
20 weeks (20 sessions)
Horticulture
• Autumn and winter program blocks of 20 weeks
• Cost covers consumable materials (soil, pots, plants, etc.)
and craft supplies for up to 10 participants per session,
plus indoor plant light cart and equipment
• The program extends over six months, factoring in
planning time.
Want to know more? Year-Round Gardening Program
If you, or someone you know could benefit 40 weeks (40 sessions)
from social and therapeutic horticulture, Ideal for long-term or residential settings but readily adaptable to
shorter-term sites of care, the Year-Round Gardening Program
call GardenWell on 01 487 5660 to find out
essentially combines Options I and II above.
how we can help.
Balgriffin tel 01 487 5660 fax 01 487 5660
Co. Dublin tel 087 6977 486 info@gardenwell.org
www.gardenwell.org

2. Where is Horticultural Therapy practiced?
• Psychiatric hospitals and mental health programs
• Vocational, occupational and rehabilitation programs
• Substance abuse programs
• Hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities
“All the flowers of all • Hospice and palliative care programs
• Correctional facilities
the tomorrows are • Public and private schools
in the seeds of • Community and botanic gardens
• Assisted living and senior centers
today” • Residential setting such as foster care, homeless shelters,
- Indian Proverb therapeutic farms
• Physical rehabilitation hospitals
• Health promotion and wellness programs
Social and Therapeutic Horticulture Services Anne’s Story Peter’s Story
GardenWell can help your agency to incorporate horticulture Anne has suffered great pain Peter was born with an Intellec-
programmes – social, vocational and/or therapeutic - into overall through the hand of others, as tual disability. He comes from a
treatment plans in order to achieve the physical, psychosocial, a victim of sexual abuse she farming background and lived
cognitive or recreational goals of your agency and the individuals had very little trust in anyone. and worked with his family
you serve. When Anne arrived, she was most his life. When Peter’s
suffering from deep depres- primary carer and older
We offer a therapeutically grounded series of engaging plant and sion and self harmed. brother passed away he was
natural craft activities as part of any programme. Activities may put into care.
Social and therapeutic horticulture is the formal include the following: Through a great deal of
name given to the process of using gardening, plants counselling and a carefully At first this was very traumatic
and horticulture to help individuals develop. • Vegetable, herb, and flower • Fresh or dried flower arranging planed therapeutic horticul- for Peter, he felt his independ-
gardening • Creating seasonal decorations ture programme Anne has ence was taken away, he felt
• Indoor plant maintenance • Forcing flowering bulbs emerged as a bright, confident isolated and angry.
and care • Mixing Potting Soils and motivated young woman.
A therepeutic horticulture
Benefits of social and therapeutic horticulture
Further criteria in activity selection include: the type of setting, Anne works along side other programme has given Peter
• Provides meaningful, purposeful activity staffing, risk management, health & safety, providing continuity and gardeners to create beautiful back some of his independ-
• Offers versatility in programming for many developmental planning around the seasonal calendar. flower arrangements, sows ence. He is the main courtyard
areas seeds, pots on and tends to the groundsman; collecting leaves,
• Addresses innate psychological needs and connection with GardenWell will help your staff to sustain a program, or GardenWell chickens. Anne now sees that tending to window boxes and
the natural world can assume total programme responsibility as an outsource service. here life has purpose and there raised beds. He also works his
• Offers restoration and respite from mental stress We do this by supplying all materials necessary for weekly activity are people she can trust. own allotment where he loves
• Encourages human growth that is fundamental and central to sessions that are therapeutically grounded and adaptable to a wide to unearth the potatoes and
each individual served range of functional and cognitive abilities. the stones!
• Impacts visitors, staff and family members as well as
participants
• Better physical health-through exercise and learning how to
use or strengthen muscles to improve mobility
• Improved mental health- through a sense of purpose and
achievement, gardening can lift the sprits by increasing self
"Kind hearts are the garden, kind thoughts are
worth and self-esteem. the root, kind words are the blossoms, kind
• Social skills - the opportunity to connect with others –
reducing feelings of isolation or exclusion
deeds are the fruit."
- John Ruskin