Horticultural therapy is the use of professionally directed
plant, gardening, and nature activities for the purpose of
optimizing the physical and mental health of its participants.
Have you noticed how a walk in the forest or being around plants
makes you feel better, or how happy you are when you pick the
season's first vine-ripe tomato? How about when you share a
favorite perennial with a friend or see someone admiring your
garden? When people are engaged in appreciating or tending
plants, their sense of well-being increases. A trained
horticultural therapist fosters this benefit. Stress exacerbates
every physical or emotional ailment; counteracting stress has a
positive impact on attaining good health. Horticultural therapy
maintains or improves physical health by providing unlimited
opportunities for exercising, increasing flexibility, improving
coordination and balance, and building physical strength.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that physiological indicators
such as respiration, pulse, and blood