"The Healing Garden"
Activities Therapy
SummitRidge Hospital

Lawrenceville, Georgia

The beginning of this experience in the garden, began some 10 years ago when our hospital took over the building that we currently occupy. There were two courtyards for our patients to enjoy, but there was really nothing to enjoy but a few bushs and alot of direct sunlight. Here in the south, summer brings heat and extreme humidity, none of which encourages one to even have a desire to walk outside much less walk out into a bare courtyard. Inside the colors are nice, the pictures are frequently of nature, but the doors are locked, and the view outside and from the porch are bare.

After much thought the process of developing a horticultural therapy program began with classes in Master gardening, which then was followed by an even greated experience in Denver at the HT Institute to work on a certificate program in horticultural therapy. It was this program that gave me the much needed background to begin the garden.

Funds came from many sources via grants, and work days from several outside companies. The end result was a courtyard garden for the patients. The garden has a wheelchair accessible ramp, tinted pathways to decrease the glare for those that have visual problems, a fountain, an arbor with a picnic table attached, benches, and a wheelchair height raised bed. Plants include a variety of flowers, shrubs, veggies, grasses, and herbs. The garden itself is now a beautiful place to walk in or just sit and enjoy the beauty and the smells. Activities include: nature crafts, planting, deadheading, weeding, watering of the garden, basic gardening tips, and games in the garden. The garden come equipted with adaptive tools as well as regular tools, a composter to teach recycling, and rain barrels to teach about water conservation.

One of the first things noticed was how often the patients requested going out into the garden, as well as staff now make regular trips to see what is blooming, or what is ready to be picked in the vegetable area. I watch as patients that are so ill they will not talk, water the garden and use every bit of energy they have making sure every plant is reached...I listen as the senior patients talk about each flower they see and how it reminds them of some event in their life or perhaps a garden they once had. I work with the children as we pull weeds and see who can have the largest pile of weeds that day. The journey has begun into horticultural therapy, all will benefit, and grow from this experience with nature.

By Pattie Bell

Activities Therapy
SummitRidge Hospital
"The Healing Garden"

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