This chapter outlines some of the collaborations already underway between health and con- servation organizations – at the hospital, neighborhood, and regional scales. It is intended to start outlining a “menu” of ways that conservation organizations can consider reaching out to health care providers in their communities to explore possible collaborations. Read more…

RESTORATIVE GARDEN DESIGN: Enhancing wellness through healing spaces  (free download)
M. Susan Erickson (Journal of Art and Design Discourse) June 2012 no.2 89-102.
Current research from a variety of academic disciplines reveals that contact with nature provides stress reduction, which in turn leads to improved health outcomes. This research leads to additional questions—what kind of contact with nature? How much? Are there certain types of plants which are more therapeutic than others? Read more…

A Nature Place — Portland, OR: Quantifying Benefits of a Healing Garden among Hospital Populations (website 2013)
Legacy Health is combining its traditional medical expertise with the healing power of open green spaces to create a four-season garden at the Family Birth Center and Cardiovascular Care Unit at its Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. Patients and their families will be able to walk through and rest in the garden, adding to their peace of mind and rebuilding their strength. There will even be special equipment to make sure less-mobile patients — such as pregnant women on bed rest and patients with reduced mobility — can spend time outside. Read more...

Legacy Health’s Garden Research: Therapeutic Gardens
(website 2013)

Legacy Health: Benefits of Healing Gardens
(website 2013)

When asked how to get mainstream healthcare to pay attention to healing gardens, Ulrich underscored the importance of having well-designed gardens and using evidence to demonstrate the reduction in cost in patient care and further, how gardens can even improve revenue, e.g. a staff member or a patient with two options may choose the one with the garden over the one without.  In sharing this perspective, Ulrich emphasized the need for more research, such as that taking place at Legacy Health. Read more…

Healing Landscapes – The website of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network: The resource for gardens and landscapes that promote health and well-being

Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations (edited volume) 1999
Clare Cooper Marcus, Marni Barnes (Editors) Wiley Publishing
…Historical information, literature reviews, and studies on use are included for each type of outdoor space covered, offering important insights into what works in healing gardens-and what doesn’t.
Generously supplemented with photographs, site plans, anecdotes, and more, Healing Gardens is an invaluable practical guide for landscape architects and others involved in creating and maintaining medical facilities, and an extremely useful reference for those responsible for patient care. Read more…

GARDENS IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES: USES, THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS, AND DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
(report, free download) 1995
by Clare Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes

…When we started to visit hospitals, we were surprised to find few that had outdoor spaces, and where we found some that did, the staff at the information desk frequently had no knowledge of the garden or its location. Read more…

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare‘s comprehensive repository of evidence of therapeutic benefits of gardens and trees http://nhsforest.org/evidence
Gardening Leave (UK) uses horticultural therapy to support our troubled veterans on their journey to good health and their transition to civilian life. We offer professionally conducted, individualised, goal-oriented treatment sessions to maximise a veteran’s physical, psychological and social strength, and enhance general health and wellbeing.
http://www.gardeningleave.org

The CMHA Grey Bruce Experience: Community Gardening as Part of the Therapeutic Process and to Provide Employment http://www.mindingourbodies.ca/toolkit/resources/gardening_for_food_and_mental_health

LettuceGrow blog on mental health and gardening http://lettucegrowblog.wordpress.com/

 

Resources on the benefits of gardens / on-site food production

From ChangeLab Solutions comes Dig, Eat, and Be Healthy: A Guide to Growing Food on Public Property (pdf)

Growing food on public property – from vacant fields, to schoolyards, parks, utility rights-of-way,  and even the rooftops of public buildings – can yield a diverse crop of community benefits. Fresh, healthy food is just the beginning: growing food on public property can also promote civic participation, public safety, food literacy, job skills, and urban greening – in short, healthier, more vibrant places. This guide provides users with the tools they need to access public land for growing food. Read more…

 

Farm to Cafeteria’s selection of reports and other publications at http://www.farmtocafeteriacanada.ca/resources/publications/

Twiss, J., Dickinson, J., Duma, S., Kleinman, T., Paulsen, H., & Rilveria, L. (2003). Community gardens: Lessons learned from California healthy cities and communities. American Journal of Public Health, 93(9), 1435-1438. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447988/

 

RELATED:

George DR, Rovniak LS, Kraschnewski JL, Morrison KJ, Dillon JF, Bates BY. (2010). Medical Center Farmers Markets: A Strategic Partner in the Patient-Centered Medical Home. Prev Chronic Dis, 10:130105. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130105 or  http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2013/13_0105.htm