Therapeutic Landscapes Network Blog

We Have Moved! Join us at www.healinglandscapes.org/blog.

2010-04-28T19:11:00.013-04:00

Photo courtesy of Henry Domke

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network Blog is now happily nestled into the TLN Website.

Our new url is www.healinglandscapes.org/blog. See you over there!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T11:30:00.005-04:00

Photo by Robert Rodriguez, Jr.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything." ~William Shakespeare

A TLN Blog Update...and Great News About a Conference at the White House!

2010-04-15T19:08:00.010-04:00

Photo by Naomi Sachs

Apologies for the sparse postings lately. We are working hard to integrate this blog with the TLN website (right now they are under two different URLs - long story), and it's all taking a little longer than expected to switch over. Partly because we are switching from Blogger to Wordpress. Those of you who don't blog will be nonplussed, but those of you who have ever tried switching from one blog platform to another might be quaking in your boots at the thought! I certainly am. So, needless to say, bear with us as we make the transition.

In the meantime, we're still posting all kinds of good information on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/therapeuticlandscapes), so please become a "fan" and join the party over there. For those of you not (yet!) on Facebook, I'll simply say that it's not just a site where kids share pictures of last night's drinking binge. Most businesses and non-profit organizations have Facebook pages, and it's an excellent way to stay informed about what's going on and to connect with other like-minded people. For example, today the TLN, and Outdoor Afro, and the Children & Nature Network all posted information about tomorrow's Conference on America's Great Outdoors at the White House. That's right! The Obama administration cares about the connections between us and nature.

I don't know why the preview image isn't displaying for this video; it will play if you hit play - it's a few-minute shot of the serviceberries pictured above, swaying in the breeze with the sound of birds chirping in the background. Maybe in Wordpress it'll show up! Enjoy.

AHTA Conference Request for Proposals - Due 4/15!

2010-04-07T14:46:00.005-04:00

Photo of wild plum by Henry Domke

Proposals for this year's American Horticultural Therapy Association's conference, In Our Nature, are due soon - April 15th - so if you have something to say and you think others should hear it, get busy and submit your proposal. Last year's conference was excellent - great speakers and poster presentations, wonderful tours, lots of networking opportunities. And this year, October 13-16, it's in collaboration with the Chicago Botanic Garden. Click HERE to link to the AHTA conference page, where you can download the RFP.

Oh, and the Therapeutic Landscapes Network just sent out its March/April e-newsletter. It's only available to members on our mailing list, so if you'd like to join (membership is free), click HERE. Thanks, and happy reading!

Hort Therapy in the Wall Street Journal...and Call for Papers!

2010-04-06T16:04:00.006-04:00

Legacy Emanuel Children's Garden, mentioned in the article

In the Wall Street Journal today, a great article about horticultural therapy programs: "When Treatment Involves Dirty Fingernails," by Anne Marie Chaker. Make sure to check out the slideshow online.

Here are two interesting statistics from the article: A 2005 study of 107 patients published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation indicated that cardiac rehabilitation patients in a one-hour gardening class clocked in lower heart rates and better dispositions than patients who received a generic patient-education class. Another study, published in 2008 in HortiTechnology, showed that 18 residents of an assisted-living facility showed a significant increase in self-rated health and happiness after participating in four horticulture classes.

And speaking of horticultural therapy, the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture has put out a call for papers for its next issue. Manuscripts may include research projects, case studies, program and services descriptions, therapeutic practice descriptions, therapeutic horticulture philosophies, therapeutic design project descriptions, relevant book reviews, and other related topics. See the AHTA website for more details and for the editor's contact information. It's an excellent opportunity to share what you know with others.

Planting the Healing Garden: The Quiet Joys of Early Spring

2010-03-31T18:09:00.019-04:00

And now it is April. I was walking in a friend's garden this afternoon and everywhere we turned, things were budding and leafing out. He kept saying "It's all happening!" And it truly is. Actually, it has been for a little while now, but it a quiet sort of way.

I never used to like March. Growing up in northeastern Connecticut, March always felt much more like the last, grey, dreary, incredibly long month of winter rather than the first month of spring. When I lived in Berkeley during graduate school, March was lovely, of course. The incessant winter rains finally ceased, and the Ceanothus and rosemary bloomed, and the world felt right again. Then I moved to Santa Fe, NM, where March meant fierce winds that blew the ever-present dust into every nook and cranny of everything. And then I moved to the Hudson Valley. And after five years of thinking that I hated March (and very early April), I finally this year have come to realize that it's actually one of my favorite times.

And here is why: March (or very early spring, really, which is March where I live) is about discovery. Before spring really takes off and everything bursts forth with verdant new growth and loud, colorful flowers like some tacky prom fashion show, we see spring's emergence more slowly and subtly. Each new discovery is cause for celebration, a light at the end of winter's tunnel. One day I see yellow on the fat Forsythia buds. The next day, they began to open, and I also notice the first new soft green growth of lady's mantle pushing up through the soil amidst last fall's leaves. The next day, I see the downy buds of the serviceberries, and every day they get bigger and bigger and soon they will open into delicate white flowers which will last only a week or two before the branches' bright leaves begin to emerge.

To me, this time of year feels like falling in love. There is so much to discover, and it's all wonderful. As in, I walk around filled with wonder and delight, like my "it's all happening!" friend.

So if you can appreciate these small joys, before spring kicks into overdrive, please share them with others. Take a walk with your children and point out the little treasures that are emerging each day. Instill in them your love of nature so that they will become stewards for the next generation. Walk in the garden, or even just gaze out the window, with your mother or grandmother or the old man who lives next door and see what you both can see. Older eyes don't always catch the small things, but they will appreciate the new life if it's pointed out to them. I promise you, your world, and theirs, will feel all the richer and more meaningful for it. And that's what a "healing garden" is all about.

All photos in this post are by and copyright Naomi Sachs. For more about plants that bloom in early spring, see this blog post, First Signs of Spring.

"Nature Artwork Preferred by Children in Pediatric Settings"

2010-03-28T17:52:00.008-04:00

Photo (and photos in installation) by Henry Domke

Yet another study has been published showing that hospital patients - this time children in pediatric settings - prefer nature artwork over other types (including abstract, impressionistic, and other representational).

One interesting concept brought up by the authors is offering an "art cart" to pediatric patients so that they can select the art images (most of which would be nature-based) that most appeal to them. Sound like it might be a good idea for all ages, right? Please link to the InformeDesign summary of this article for more information: "Nature Artwork Preferred by Children in Pediatric Settings."

Previous research has looked at overall preferences and has also found that nature artwork tends to relieve rather than cause stress (yes, some types of artwork actually cause stress to people in the healthcare setting). See this excellent summary by Henry Domke for a crash course. Henry's blog, Healthcare Fine Art, is a terrific resource if you're interested in the intersection of art and healthcare. Henry is also a photographer, and it's his images that you see on the TLN site and often on the TLN Blog, because in addition to being very talented, Henry is also very generous.

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network website has an Art and Health page where you'll find the resources that we think are the top go-to organizations, books, and articles on this subject.

Full article citation: Eisen, Sarajane L., Roger S. Ulrich, Mardelle M. Shepley, James W. Varni (2008). "The Stress-Reducing Effects of Art in Pediatric Health Care: Art Preferences of Healthy Children and Hospitalized Children." Journal of Child Health Care, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 173-190.

Discount on DVDs - A Consolation Prize for Those of Us Who Can't Attend the Design for Aging Conference

2010-03-21T17:55:00.008-04:00

I really wanted to get to the Design for Aging conference, which started today, but just couldn't this year. If you are in the same boat, I have a consolation prize for you!

The Therapeutic Landscape Network has teamed up with Access to Nature to offer a 10% discount off of the excellent DVD series, "Access to Nature for Older Adults."

Please visit this earlier post for a detailed (and glowing) description of this DVD series. It is an excellent new contribution to this field, and I wish that everyone would see it.

So to help with that, here's the deal: Receive a 10% discount when you buy any or all of the Access to Nature DVDs. Just enter this promotional code in the checkout section on the Access to Nature website: TLNA2N.

"Gardens for Recovery" - Excellent article from AHS' The American Gardener

2010-03-19T12:15:00.014-04:00

Witch hazel 'Arnold's Promise' - spring is on the way!

I hope everyone has been having a good Horticultural Therapy Week. Here in the Hudson Valley, we have had unseasonably warm temperatures and we're seeing encouraging signs of spring. Light at the end of winter's tunnel!

My hope of posting notes from last week's talk at the Horticultural Society of New York on linking medical and social science research to HT are not going to get realized this week. Next week, perhaps.

So instead, I am sharing with you an excellent article from the November/December 2009 issue of The American Gardener, the magazine published by the American Horticultural Society. "Gardens for Recovery," by Doreen Howard, focuses primarily on the Oregon Burn Center Garden at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, OR* and the Rosecrance Serenity Garden in Rockford, IL. The TLN gets a mention, too. Howard gives some moving examples of how these gardens, and therapy in the gardens, help patients and family members heal. In addition, she lists "five primary design guidelines for any healing garden, including ones for home and backyards." I know it's not always easy to take time to read an article, but in this case, it's worth it, trust me!

Many thanks to the American Horticultural Society and Doreen Howard for permission to link to this article; these articles are usually only available to AHS members, but they made an exception for the TLN Blog, knowing that others would truly benefit from the information.

Oregon Burn Center at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center

Rosecrance Serenity Garden, Rockford, IL

Happy Horticultural Therapy Week!

2010-03-15T14:50:00.008-04:00

This week, starting yesterday, is National Horticultural Therapy Week.

To celebrate, I'm posting the American Horticultural Therapy Association's Call for Papers for their next conference, In Our Nature, which will be in Chicago from October 13-16, 2010. Proposals are due by April 15, so get your act together soon to submit.

If you're not quite sure what horticultural therapy, or "HT," is, here's a quick definition, courtesy of the Horticultural Therapy Institute: Horticultural therapy is "a professional practice that uses the cultivation of plants and gardening activities to improve the mental and physical health of its participants."

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network has a special page devoted to HT, and the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) has many resources, including links and books to buy, on their website.

It is my personal opinion that any designer who designs therapeutic landscapes should be a member of AHTA. The Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture alone, published by AHTA, is worth the price of admission alone.

I'm working on a blog post about my amazing day at the Horticulture Society of New York's forum, Food 4 Thought, and hope to have that out before the end of the week.

In the meantime, here's a nice video form GardeningForLife about HT:

This Friday! Horticultural Society of NY presents Horticultural Therapy Partnership Forum, Food 4 Thought

2010-03-09T06:14:00.001-05:00

Image courtesy of HSNY

This Friday, 3/12, the Horticultural Society of New York presents its 4th Annual Horticultural Therapy Partnership Forum, "Food 4 Thought." What a great line-up! I'm so excited to get to meet and hear from all of these amazing people. Click HERE to link to the HSNY info and registration page.

Morning topics and speakers are:

"Horticultural Therapy at the Rikers Island," with Hilda Krus, HTR, Director of GreenHouse, HSNY
"Horticultural Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS," with Liza Watkins of Bailey Holt House and Sandra Power of the Horticultural Therapy Institute

An afternoon panel will be moderated by Ronnit Bendavid-Val, Director of Citywide Horticulture, NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation. Panelist topics and presenters include:

"Urban Farming, Farm Stands, & Markets," with Jane Hodge, City Farms Manager, Just Food and Rev. Robert Jackson, Co-founder of Brooklyn Rescue Mission
"Horticulture Across Generations," with Arthur Sheppard, Goddard Riverside
"Partnering Medical & Social Research," with Anne Wiesen, Co-founder & Executive Director of Meristem and Naomi Sachs, Founder & Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network
"Physical Therapy and Gardening," with Karen Washington, Physical Therapist, President of NYC Community Gardens Coalition, and Co-founder of La Familia Verde Gardens Coalition.

Anne Wiesen, my co-presenter, is also the co-editor of the book Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-Being through Urban Landscapes," which you can read a review of on this blog post.

This forum is one of several great upcoming events. I haven't had the chance to blog about each and every one, so please visit the "Upcoming Events" area (right-hand column, about half-way down) to see what's going on in your area (geographically or professionally). And as always, if you have events that you want others to know about, contact the TLN and we'll get it posted.

Image courtesy of HSNY

Winter/Spring

2010-03-08T04:51:00.000-05:00

Forsythia buds indoors*

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ---Charlotte Bronte

*For more on how to force branches indoors for early spring blossoms, see this post.

Many thanks to Judi Gerber for bringing this lovely quote to my attention.

Daffodil Days with the American Cancer Society

2010-03-06T15:21:00.004-05:00

The American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days program is now underway, through early this month (March - exact dates vary by location). The ACS has been holding this particular fundraising campaign for over 35 years. Over the last 15 years, Daffodil Days has raised more than $240 million in gross revenue to support the ACS.

Why daffodils?

"As the first flower of spring, the daffodil represents hope and renewal. To the American Cancer Society, the daffodil symbolizes the hope we all share for a future where cancer no longer threatens those we love."

How it works: You order bunches of daffodils through the ACS now, and they are then delivered to friends, family members, and people touched by cancer in mid-March. And/or you can send a Gift of Hope, a bouquet of ten daffodil stems, in a vase, that gets delivered as an anonymous gift from you to cancer patients in communities across the country. Daffodil Days options (dates, bouquets offered, etc.) vary by location, so click on the map for your specific community. You can also volunteer to help out with coordinating and delivering - see the website for that, too.

To learn more, get involved, or order up bunches of daffodils that will brighten someone's day and help fight cancer, visit the Daffodils Days website, especially the FAQ's page, or call the ACS directly: 1.800.ACS.2345.

Like What We're Doing? Show Us Some Love!

2010-03-03T10:48:00.005-05:00

A bouquet of tulips for all of our supporters. Photo by Henry Domke

If you're reading this blog, then you're probably familiar with the Therapeutic Landscapes Network and our mission to "provide information, free of charge, about gardens and landscapes that promote health and well-being."

As the TLN's founder, director, and author of this blog, I have to say, I love my job. It's incredibly rewarding to connect with people who care deeply about the restorative benefits of nature. And there are so many of us, from individuals to design firms to hospital doctors, nurses, and administrators. It's exciting to be a part of something I care about so deeply.

If you like what we do, here are some ways you can show it:

Donate! - Your donations really, really help. We're deeply committed to keeping access to the information we provide free and available to everyone. That doesn't just happen on its own. Just like with public radio, if you benefit from what we provide, please make a donation so that we can continue to provide it. No donation is too small; they are not (yet!) tax-deductible, but you will receive many cosmic goodie points, along with the warm glow of knowing that you're supporting an organization that's making a difference.

Join the TLN - Become part of a growing group of like-minded people (505 and growing every day). It's free, and only our members receive our monthly newsletter. Members also get discounts on things like the Access to Nature for Older Adults DVD seriess

Become a "fan" on Facebook - We now have over 700 members! This is a great way to connect with others and to get quick updates on news, links, and upcoming events. We also have over 2,500 followers on twitter, and you can join us there, too.

Buy stuff - We have a nifty store on the TLN site with things like mugs, mousepads, water bottles, t-shirts, caps, and other wearable goodies, all with our beautiful Echinacea mascot (thanks, Henry Domke, for the image).

Order Amazon books and other merchandise through our site - As an Amazon Affiliate, we receive a percentage of every sale that happens through our website. Not just books, but anything you buy from Amazon. So bookmark our site and click on the Amazon logo before you start shopping.

Spread the word! Forward our blog and newsletter, write about us on your own blog or interview us for a news story, invite us to speak at an event, suggest to friends on Facebook.

Whether you do one or all of these things, your support makes a big difference - many thanks!

When Nature Isn't "Nice"

2010-03-01T12:17:00.008-05:00

Beacon, NY (yes, that's a car under that tree limb and snow)

I spend most of my time lauding the benefits of nature because I believe strongly that they are many, and that on the whole, connecting with nature benefits us as individuals and as a species.

I do, however, want to acknowledge the recent major natural disasters in Haiti and Chile, as well as a disaster on a MUCH smaller scale in my town of Beacon, NY and the surrounding area*. Some people may be offended that I even mention our recent snowstorm in the same breath, but what can I say? We tend to be more affected by what's close to home, and sometimes that makes us more empathetic with people who are going through much much much worse.

Ever since the earthquake struck Haiti, I've been trying to decide whether to do a blog post about it, and if so, what to say. I don't want to be in complete denial about the destructive side of nature. When all of this horrible stuff is going down, it feels a bit surreal to be offering suggestions about "how to survive the winter" by forcing branches to bloom early (don't even have to cut them now, just wander around town picking up debris!). And yet at the same time, my job is not to tell you when the sky is falling. Plenty of people already do that. My job is to focus on the positive and on the healing.

I will say is that as "cruel" as nature seems to be sometimes, part of what comforts me is knowing that there is no bad intention behind it. Nature is just nature. Most of the time, it provides oxygen and water and things to eat, as well as beauty and solace and all of those less immediate, tangible things that create a good quality of life for us. And then sometimes - WHAM. Throughout history, nature has been alternately and somewhat cyclically glorified and vilified. But I feel pretty strongly that there's no malevolence behind the destruction, no evil intent. It is what it is and it ain't nothin' else.

In addition to donating money toward relief efforts, we can also use whatever skills we have to pitch in. For example, as designers and gardeners, we can work on pro bono/volunteer projects in our communities at any time. There is always a need, and people will always be happy to benefit from our knowledge, skills, and sweat equity. And even in disaster situations, there is much we can do. Architecture for Humanity has been providing design and construction services for over ten years now, including reconstruction in Haiti. I'm sure they'll be in Chile in no time, too. Some other good examples are Designers Without Borders, the Design Altruism Project, and of course Habitat for Humanity. And for you altruistic designers out there, here's a good book to start with: Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change the World, by David E. Berman.

As always, I welcome your comments.

*Two consecutive snowstorms, both with very wet, heavy snow, caused major damage to trees and power lines, leaving over 150,000 people without power for several days. A man was killed by a falling tree limb in Central Park, one of several storm-related fatalities in the region.

Project Bud Burst - Be a Citizen Scientist!

2010-02-24T17:14:00.007-05:00

Photo of flowering dogwood by Henry Domke

At this time of year, one sure-fire way to get yourself (and others) outside is to look for signs of spring. And like the Great Backyard Bird Count, Project BudBurst empowers us to become "citizen scientists," observing the phenology, or recurring first phases, of plants.

For a good explanation of phenology, see Shawn Moriarty's blog post, "How do you know it is spring?" A phenophase is the first phase of a plant's cycle (first leaf, leaves unfolding, first flower, etc.).

By reporting when we see what, we contribute valuable environmental and climate change information. So go ahead, get out there, and get your kids and students and parents out there, too! It's a great way to learn about the environment, connect to nature, and contribute to science, all at the same time.

Thanks to the Grass Stain Guru for her post about Project BudBurst; that's how I found out about it, so thanks, Bethe!

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Newsletter, chock-full of good stuff

2010-02-23T11:51:00.011-05:00

Photo of oak leaves in spring by Henry Domke

The most recent ASLA Healthcare and Therapeutic Design* newsletter has just been published, and as usual, it's full of all sorts of good information.

The newsletter gets a mention in this week's LANDOnline, especially Nancy Gerlach-Spriggs and Vince Healy's piece, "The Therapeutic Garden: A Definition." It's a good article, and brings up a lot of the issues that we often discuss here at the Therapeutic Landscapes Network. Defining terms like Therapeutic Gardens and Landscapes, Restorative Landscapes, Healing Gardens and so on is a challenge, and Nancy and Vince do a thoughtful investigation.**

Other articles in the newsletter include:

Letter from the Chair, Susan Erickson
Persistence of Memory: Scent Gardens for Therapeutic Life Review in Communities for the Elderly, by Wendy Meyer (a pdf of Meyer's thesis on this subject can be found at the end of the article, as well as on the TLN References page, under Meyer, Wendy).
Bloedel Reserve [as a restorative landscape], by Sally Schaumann
Returning Home: The Veterans Garden Project, by Steve Mitrione
Book Review of Recreating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging, by Sally Shute
And a call for papers from Elizabeth Messer-Diehl, Editor-in-Chief of AHTA's Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture.

Whether you read the full newsletter or just the articles that speak to you, it's an excellent contribution to this field. Many thanks and congratulations to all who made it happen!

* The American Society of Landscape Architects has several Professional Practice Networks, one of which is Healthcare and Therapeutic Design.

**I take slight issue with the assertion that only landscape architects are able design Therapeutic Gardens. I believe that landscape designers, with the proper training, are just as capable. I'd much rather have a well-trained, committed LD be on the team of designing a healthcare facility's outdoor environment than an LA who has no expertise in this particular area. In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that though I have an MLA (Master of Landscape Architecture), I have not yet attained certification as a landscape architect, so for now I practice as a landscape designer.

Surviving the Winter by Connecting with Nature...from Indoors (Part V)

2010-02-16T17:19:00.021-05:00

Sometimes it's best to stay indoors...

I've managed to string this series of posts out long enough that it feels like spring is just around the corner...and perhaps for some of you in milder areas, it is. Here in Zone 5 New York, we still have a good few inches of snow on the ground, and the wind is making what is technically an above-freezing day feel like it's well below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. So, I'm enjoying writing this post from the comfort of my office, which overlooks part of the garden, including a witch hazel in full bloom. Seeing this harbinger of spring, with her strange beautiful blossoms, always lifts my spirits and gives me hope. For more on other early spring bloomers, take a look at this post.

witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena'

During this series on "surviving the winter by staying connected to nature," I've mentioned those times when we just can't get outside. Maybe the weather or the walking conditions are just too harsh or dangerous. Maybe our physical condition limits how much we can get out. Fortunately, there are still things that we can do, from the comfort of our homes, to keep us connected to nature until spring. That's what this post is about: Connecting with nature, from indoors.

Watch the birds, and other wildlife, through your window

We covered birdwatching in a recent post (as well as other wildlife, if you're lucky enough to live somewhere where you can see it), and I hope that some of you were able to participate in this year's Great Backyard Bird Count. You can participate all year long with Project Feeder Watch - click on the link to learn more.

Enjoy your indoor plants

Did you know that people who work in places with live indoor plants have significantly higher levels of job satisfaction than those with no plants? It's true! See this blog post for more on that. Another recent study found that postoperative patients with flowering and foliage plants in their rooms fared better than those with no plants, including needing less pain medication and recovering faster. So there's a real scientific reason for taking flowers to people in the hospital. This TLN Blog post lists that and several other similar research studies. If indoor plants are good in the workplace and at the hospital, you can bet that they're good for us at home, too. Indoor plants are also excellent air purifiers. Here are some more resources:

1. Plants That Heal: Indoor Therapeutic Gardens - An article by Planterra about one of their indoor hospital gardens, with great information about how plants purify the air.

2. Treehugger.com's list of the Top 5 Plants for Improving Indoor Air Quality.

3. Living on Earth's list of "Ten Eco-Friendly House Plants."

Photo courtesy of Living on Earth and Plants at Work

4. A really heartwarming story (also from Living on Earth) about students at Stuyvesant High School (above), which is just blocks away from Ground Zero, who received indoor plants from nurseries after the attacks on September 11, 2001, as a way to purify the air.

Image from bhg.com

Force bulbs and branches

When spring just won't hurry up and get here fast enough, we can do something to hurry it along called "forcing," with bulbs and flowering branches of shrubs and trees. Putting these plants in water in the warmth of our homes fools them into thinking that spring has arrived, and they go about sending up shoots and flowers. I do this every year with forsythia, and this year I think I'll try it with serviceberry as well. Here's a good article on forcing bulbs, and here's a nice article from Fine Gardening about forcing branches, including a list of some good trees and shrubs to use. The blog Heirloom Gardener has some really beautiful images of forced branches, along with a good forcing calendar.

Plan for next year's winter garden

Now is a great time of year to look out onto your (or your clients') garden and see what's missing in the winter-time. Are you hungry for more color? Perhaps you should plan for some more evergreens, or shrubs with brightly-colored branches (such as red-twig dogwood, coral maple, and several willow species) or berries for next year. Or perhaps your garden needs more structure - what we designers call "the bones" of the garden. Maybe an unexpected tree or shrub form would help to add interest and even levity to the garden: For example, the Dr. Suess-like branches of Henry Lauder's walking stick or corkscrew willow.

Image from One Green Generation

Start seeds

There's something so promising about seeing little seedlings of herbs and vegetables nosing their way through the soil and emerging into the light and warmth of our homes. Lots of good information on the web, but two of my favorite sources are One Green Generation and Fine Gardening' 10 Seed-Starting Tips. You'll find some informative videos on that page as well.

Look at garden books and catalogs
Here's one comment that I received from an earlier post in this series:

When I lived in Michigan, I took up cross country skiing to make winter bearable. Still found the long winters with flat gray sky day after day tough - I always felt starved for color. Looking at art books and garden books helped.

Curling up with a good, juicy garden book, or a plant or seed catalog, can be just what the Winter Doldrums Doctor ordered. And now is the time to do it, which leads me to my last suggestion:

Enjoy the down time

In some ways, winter forces us to slow down and turn inward. This can actually be a good thing, allowing us to rest, recharge our batteries, and emerge in the spring like new buds from recently dormant branches , rejuvenated and ready for a productive and fruitful growing season. So go ahead, for the remainder of the winter, allow yourself to revel in its quiet coziness: Curl up by the fire with a cup of hot something and a good garden book and allow yourself to dream...spring will be here before you know it.

Get Out There! Surviving the Winter by Connecting with Nature, Part IV

2010-02-10T09:54:00.018-05:00

Boo knows the benefits of a sunny romp in the snow

In my first post for this series on "surviving the winter by staying connected to nature," I alluded to the health benefits of getting your butt off the sofa (or office chair) and into the great outdoors. Several people left comments on this blog, as well as on Facebook and twitter, that what keeps them sane and healthy in the winter is getting outside. So let's talk about that. Why is getting outdoors so important?

Reason #1: Sunlight (or "take you vitamins!")

Sunlight provides several essential ingredients for good health:

a. The first is Vitamin D. The sun contributes significantly to its production in our bodies, which aids in the absorption of calcium, which helps maintain strong bones. Vitamin D helps to prevent osteoporosis, as well as hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases. Rickets (remember rickets? Kids are getting rickets again! Gee, I wonder why...) and osteomalacia are common D deficiency diseases. Yuck. So get outside for some sunlight.

As little as 10 minutes of exposure a day is thought to be enough to prevent Vitamin D deficiencies.* In the winter, when the sun is low and most of our bodies are bundled up, we may need a little longer than 10 minutes. I try to get out at mid-day when the sun is highest. This works out well for lunch hour; rather than scarfing down that sandwich in front of your computer, throw on your coat (and gloves, and scarf, and hat...) and take a walk. Ten bucks says you'll feel more energetic and better able to focus for the rest of the day (there's research to back this up, too, but I'll cover that another time).

b. Normal circadian rhythms - Exposure to sunlight helps us to maintain our internal biological clocks, which in turn helps us sleep. When bright light enters our eyes, it stimulates our "circadian pacemaker" (I kid you not). This little pacemaker signals the brain to stop making melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. There's a good amount of research now that maintaining normal circadian rhythms in people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia can improve sleep and decrease restlessness, agitation, and even aggression. Lack of sunlight also causes the "winter blues," otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This depression is recognized by the medical community. But instead of upping your dose of anti-depressants or buying one of those light therapy lamps, try getting some natural sunlight first (disclaimer here about my not being a doctor and that if you need more than the sunlight cure, you should seek medical advice).

c. Spending time outdoors early in life may even help to prevent myopia (nearsightedness). Click HERE to read or listen to the story by Joseph Shapiro on NPR, and click HERE to read the article "What's Hot in Myopia Research" by presented Neville A. McBrien, Ian G. Morgan, and Donald O. Mutti at the 12th International Myopia Conference in Australia, July 2008. I just love that title, "What's Hot in Myopia Research."

Reason #2: Exercise

We all know by now that exercise is good for our physical and mental/emotional health, right? So if you can do it outside while getting your daily Vitamin D intake and your circadian rhythms adjusted all at the same time, you're golden. Even mild exercise, like walking, is beneficial. And then of course there's skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, curling... perhaps watching the winter olympics will inspire.

Reason #3: Emotional well-being

When we experience positive stimuli, endorphins (chemicals that make us feel good) are released. Our outdoor experience is usually positive on a multi-sensory level, which means that more than one sense is being stimulated, in a good way, at the same time. We feel the sun's warmth on our face as we listen to birds chirping (yes, even in winter) and see snowflakes falling, or our dogs romping, or our children making snow angels. For more on this, read my interview with Esther Sternberg, author of Healing Spaces: The Science and Place of Well-Being.

Researchers Stephen and Rachel Kaplan figured this out long before neurologists had the brain imaging technology to prove it. They believe that nature holds our attention through "soft fascination" rather than the kind of concentration and fight-or-flight attention needed when we're working or walking along a busy city street (for more, see this blog post). Studies by Roger Ulrich and others have found that interacting with and even just viewing nature can help people recover from stressful events. And really, who isn't under some degree of stress these days? So go outside. Your body will thank you.

And if you need any further convincing, read this article, "Science Suggests Access to Nature is Essential for Human Health."

There is a caveat to all of this: Be safe!

Here are some tips to staying warm and safe from the National Wildlife Federation and Outdoor Afro (Part I and II). Sometimes, due to the weather or one's physical condition, getting outside isn't an option. I received this comment from a reader, and she definitely has a point:

Getting outdoors every day helps pass the winter. The only problem we encounter here is that the temperatures can drop to the point where being outdoors for more than a few minutes is not a good idea. What many people here do is go to the city gym and track. It's a great meeting place and a way for us to avoid falling on ice and climbing big snowbanks. It's better than being housebound for many elderly and disabled persons, including me.

In the next post, I'll talk about more that we can do indoors on those days when venturing out isn't possible. And then, before you know it, it'll be spring!

And speaking of which, here's another comment I got about fighting the winter doldrums:

"I go outside...and look for signs of spring." And here's a picture from one of our members, who did just that and found the first yellow crocus of spring.

"First Yellow Crocus" courtesy of Stevie at Garden Therapy

*My source for the Vitamin D information was an article on MayoClinic.com.

Get Ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count!

2010-02-08T11:14:00.003-05:00

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

It's almost here, the event you've been waiting for: The Great Backyard Bird Count.

This annual four-day event, this year February 12-15, engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy.

This joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon helps scientists to learn all kinds of important information about birds. It's also a great way to get kids interested in nature right in their backyard. Visit the special page for children to learn more. You can also click HERE to find out about events in your area, or you can download the regional checklist and count on your own.

For more information on how to participate, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

Watching the Birds - Connecting with Nature in Winter, Part III

2010-01-30T15:20:00.021-05:00

Photo courtesy of Kelly Riccetti and Red and the Peanut

Continuing our series on "Surviving the Winter by Staying Connected to Nature," today's post is about enjoying nature from inside, and in particular, feeding and watching the birds.

It's true that one of the keys to making it through the winter is getting outside (more on that in the next post). But let's face it: Even if we do venture forth, we're probably not going to be out very long. So what is a "healing garden" in winter? One that we can gaze upon and enjoy from indoors. And what better way to hold our attention than watching the birds? It's certainly been keeping me going this winter. This is the first year that I've noticed white-breasted nuthatches flitting back and forth from the bird feeder to the white oak. And in addition to the usual sparrows, crows, dark-eyed juncos, starlings, and cardinals, we seem to have more chickadees and tufted titmice (titmouses?) this year as well. Such a delight!

I want to especially encourage nurses, administrators, volunteers and family members who care for seniors to do more to attract birds. Place bird feeders and baths (you can even buy heated ones) outside of private and community windows. Watching, identifying, and counting birds can bring a great deal of meaning (and social interaction) into people's lives. Bird-watching is an excellent antidote to the common problems of boredom, loneliness, and isolation.

No matter what your age, here are some resources to get you started. There are two primary ways to attract birds to the garden:

First, plant things that birds are attracted to for food and habitat. The following books and websites will help you choose what to plant and how to keep a garden that's bird-friendly throughout the year.

Here's a nice article about How to Grow Your Own Bird Seed in the Garden.
You can even plant specific things to attract specific birds. For example, goldfinches are drawn to Echinacea (purple coneflower), black-eyed Susans, Zinnias, sunflowers, and especially thistle - not only for the food but for the downy fibers used to line their nests (thanks to my new favorite blog Red and the Peanut for this info). Another example: Bluebirds loooove winterberry (Ilex verticillata).
The National Audubon Society's book The Bird Garden: A Comprehensive Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard Throughout the Year.
The National Wildlife Federation's book Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife and also their Garden for Wildlife page.
Rodale Organic Gardening's Attracting Birds to Your Backyard.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds page.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's book The Wildlife Gardener's Guide, and their website Inviting Wildlife Into Your Winter Garden.
The U.K.'s Wildlife Gardener.
On the "macro" level, think about attracting not just the birds, but the critters that attract the birds: Insects, in general, provide a lot more nutrition than seed. Doug Tallamy's Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants explains how this works and why we should care.
Here are some of Tallamy's top recommendations of both woody and herbaceous plants that support the butterflies and moths that feed the birds and keep our ecosystem healthy.
I also highly recommend Bill Cullina's list of Biodiversity All-Stars - the plants that support more than one species at a time - on the New England Wild Flower Society website. His list of top ten includes oak, crabapple, serviceberry, and red cedar.
And finally, Carole Brown's Choosing the Best Plants for Your Ecosystem Garden. Ecosystem Garden is a garden that supports the entire ecosystem, sustainably, rather than just us, or one type of animal or crop. You can read the full explanation here.

Second to providing natural food and habitat in your garden, supplement with birdfeeders and bird baths. The National Bird-Feeding Society is a great place to start. Learn about bird feed and feeder preference; how to prevent disease at bird feeders; best backyard bird-feeding practices, and more. And many of the websites listed above also provide information about this aspect of backyard bird-care as well.

All of these resources, plus a few more, are on the Therapeutic Landscapes Network's Sensory & Wildlife Plants page. Stop on by, and if you have other recommendations, let us know.

Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Henry Domke

Connecting with Nature in Winter, Part II: Loving the Subtle Beauty

2010-01-27T10:39:00.024-05:00

Photo courtesy of Kelly Riccitti, from her gorgeous blog Red and the Peanut

I've gotten several good comments from blog readers and TLN Facebook fans about what keeps them healthy and sane during the long, dark, cold winter months. Many are about getting outside, even if only briefly, and appreciating what winter has to offer:

"I have to go out every day. I feel pent up if I don't. I wrap up and go for a walk."

"I think the trick to getting outside is to just get yourself out the door. Even if I don't have the time and energy to be outside for long, it still refreshes my spirit to go out for a bit and closely observe just one plant or wild animal."

There is so much beauty in the winter landscape, though we may have to look a little harder to find it. Unlike the knock-out displays of summer, winter is quieter and more subtle. When I told Kelly Riccitti that I loved her blog post "The beautiful grays of winter," she replied with this, which really sums it up:

"Here in Ohio, the weather can really be trying midwinter and many suffer from SAD [Seasonal Affective Disorder]. It's so important to get outside and see the beauty hiding behind the gray. Finding texture, form, birds, and recognizing the soft, soothing color keeps me happy. I hope I can inspire others to look past the gray and be calm..."

Photo courtesy of Kelly Riccitti, from Red and the Peanut

So for the rest of this post, inspired by Kelly, here are some photos that I've taken on winter forays. And what about you? What, in winter, strikes you as beautiful and life-affirming? What feeds your brain and your soul?

Long blue shadows - Fahnestock State Park, NY

Icy stream - Hiddenbrooke Park, Beacon, NY

Icy leaf

Snowy Hakonechloa grass

Wetland marsh - Fahnestock State Park, NY

Serviceberry branches, stone wall, snow

Root, moss, needles, leaves - Martha's Vineyard, MA

Snowcapped Clematis - Little Stony Point, Cold Spring, NY

Sumac against an uncommonly blue sky

Connecting with Nature, Even in the Dead of Winter

2010-01-24T14:20:00.011-05:00

View of the Hudson from Little Stony Point, Cold Spring, NY

I've been slacking off on the blog posts recently, which is not like me for January. Usually, this is when I have more time for things like blogging and research. Well, so much for that! Still, it's time to get back to it, and what better way than starting a series of posts that I have to finish?

So, this is the first of several posts on "surviving the winter" by staying connected with nature. Now, if you're in Australia or Hawaii or Palm Springs or somewhere else I'd like to be right about now, then never you mind. But for many of us around the world, winter means darkness, and cold, and dormant plants, and a certain amount of cabin fever. So how do we combat that and learn to embrace this time of year? For today, I'll start with something relatively simple and yet incredibly important:

Go outside and play! Sure, the weather outside is frightful, or at least none too inviting. But that's what boots and warm coats and mittens are for. It's a sad irony (or perhaps just dumb logic) that at the time of the year when we need to be outside and active the most, leaving the house is just not that attractive a proposition. Our bodies need Vitamin D (which the sun so generously provides), exercise, and fresh air to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. And we also need to maintain our deep connection to nature even when the ground is frozen and there aren't any roses to stop and smell.

So bundle up and get out there: Go for a walk or a jog; dust off those skis and skates and snowshoes and galoshes; build a snowman; jump in the puddles. What do you get in return? I'll talk more about the specifics in the next post. In the meantime, get off the computer and get outside!

And here's an invitation for when you get back on the computer: What do you do in the winter to stay healthy and connected to nature? Share your ideas with others by leaving a comment here or on our Facebook page.

New Research Summary on Outdoor Play Spaces at Childcare Centers

2010-01-06T14:21:00.009-05:00

Image of Buffalo PS90 courtesy Joy Kuebler

If you're relatively new to this blog, then you may not yet have heard me rave (in a positive way) about InformeDesign. This is one of the best resources for evidence-based design (EBD), and it's still free, and you can sign up to have new research summaries emailed to you.

One summary this week that seems particularly appropriate to the Therapeutic Landscapes Network is of an article by Susan Harrington, "Perspectives from the Ground: Early Childhood Educators' Perceptions of Outdoor Play Spaces at Child Care Centers."

Previous studies have indicated that outdoor play spaces have the potential to support physical, emotional, and social growth in children, and the author chose to focus on Canadian outdoor splay spaces, from the point of view of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs).

The finding that most interested me was that outdoor play spaces with plants got more positive comments than those with no or little vegetation. Furthermore, ECEs working at centers with vegetation tended to make more positive comments about seasonal change (fall color, plant cycles, etc.) than those in centers with no vegetation, where comments regarding seasonal change were more negative (hot asphalt and slides, wet equipment, etc.). Cue all landscape architects, designers, and plant-lovers whispering "yes!" in victorious unison.

And for those of you who are especially interested in children's play environments, I'll also call your attention to a recent blog post by Shawna Coronado on creating gardens for children: "Fantasizing About Spring: A Garden Built for a Child." Lots more information on the TLN's Get Out and Play! page as well.

Full citation: Harrington, Susan (2008). "Perspectives from the Ground: Early Childhood Educators' Perceptions of Outdoor Play Spaces at Child Care Centers." Children, Youth and Environments, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 64-87.

The image above is of Buffalo (NY) Public School 90 Early Childhood Science Center Magnet, designed by Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect. It was featured last month on Playscapes, a great blog about playground design.

Upcoming Talk in NYC: Restorative Landscapes

2010-01-04T12:05:00.011-05:00

The New York ASLA is hosting a presentation on Restorative Landscapes this month (1/14), with speakers Jack Carman, Nancy Chambers, and Naomi Sachs (that's me!). The three of us will talk about "the power of designed outdoor spaces to relieve stress and promote healing."

I'm honored to be in such good company. Jack is president of Design for Generations, a landscape architecture and planning firm that focuses on designing therapeutic outdoor environments for seniors, and he has just published the book Re-Creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging, which I reviewed last month (and year...). He is also a member of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network's Advisory Board. Nancy Chambers is the Director of the most comprehensive horticultural therapy program in the country, the Enid Haupt Glass Garden at the Rusk Institute for Rehabilitative Medicine. The Glass Garden is a terrific resource for designers and horticultural therapists, right in the heart of NYC. Nancy is also on the Faculty of the New York Botanical Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden.

Please join us on January 14th, 6:30 p.m., at the Arsenal, 5th Avenue & 65th Street. $15.00 for members, $20.00 for non-members; you can pay cash at the door or RSVP at www.nyasla.org. Dirtworks, PC is sponsoring the event, and there will be refreshments served after the talk.

See you there!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T09:01:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

Wishing you joy and good health in 2010.

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Resolve to Make Your Yard/Garden/Park a Restorative Space

2009-12-30T12:10:00.011-05:00

Manitoga, Russel Wright's garden. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Okay, I give in. Lots of websites are posting suggestions for resolutions; I might as well jump on the New Year's Resolutions Bandwagon with my own recommendations. Not surprisingly, these have to do with creating landscapes that facilitate health and well-being. So, my 2010 resolution suggestion:

Resolve to create restorative outdoor space for yourself, your family, and even your community.

Maybe it's a space on your property - your deck, your yard, your garden - that could be better utilized to be a healing space. Allow yourself to dream about what would make that space more special, more conducive to you connecting with nature rather than just storing the grill and fretting about the unmowed lawn.

And perhaps you can take that inspiration out into the community as well: Maybe there's an underused park, or an empty lot in in your neighborhood that could be transformed into a green space that everyone could enjoy and benefit from. Or perhaps a local school, or a nursing home, or community center has a bit of open space that could be transformed into a green haven.

Sometimes the idea of creating a restorative space is daunting, because we imagine that we don't have the funds, or the design skills, or the knowledge to make it happen. I can assure you that the most important ingredient is resolve - a commitment to making things better. Once you've got that, then the rest will fall into place. And the Therapeutic Landscapes Network can help with the rest. Happy New Year!

Oh, and if you're wondering why the spacing is so weird on this post, the answer is: I don't know. That's why my resolution is to finally switch to Wordpress in 2010.

Winter

2009-12-20T11:54:00.002-05:00

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Many thanks to www.quotegarden.com/winter for the quote.

Top Ten Gift Books for Healing Garden Inspiration

2009-12-16T10:22:00.044-05:00

I realize I'm a little late getting to this, but here are some suggestions for people who are still looking for last-minute gifts (in addition to things from the TLN store, of course!).

If you're a gardener like me and you live somewhere cold where gardening in winter isn't much of an option, then one of your favorite pastimes is sitting by the fire, poring over gardening books and dreaming of spring. And if you're a designer, what better way to get your clients excited about doing more than planting shrubs in front of their house's foundation?

These are all books that I own and refer to again and again for inspiration when designing and consulting about healing gardens (including my own). There are more academic and educational books out there, one of which I recommended in the last blog post, and many more of which are listed on the TLN's References page. We're working on an "If You Only Read Five" page (still in development) that will list books in categories (inspiration, evidence-based design, horticultural therapy, specific populations, etc.), so stay tuned for that.

These ten books are sure to inspire you, or those receiving them as gifts, to create spaces that are truly nurturing to body and soul. And as a bonus, when you buy from any of the links on this post, you'll be nurturing the Therapeutic Landscpaes Network, too. Through the Amazon Associates program, the TLN receives a percentage of each book sale. Of course, if you can find the books locally, all the better. But if you must order by mail, please shop through this post! Just click on the title to link to Amazon.com. So, here we go. My top ten books for healing garden inspiration:

Peaceful Gardens: transform your garden into a haven of calm and tranquillity by Stephanie Donaldson - A very sweet little book (it really is little, measuring 5.5 x 6.5") with hundreds of beautiful photographs and great ideas. I like the mixture of garden styles in this book - everything from traditional cottage-type gardens to wild meadows to very modern, spare, contemplative spaces.

The Healing Garden: A Natural Haven for Body, Senses and Spirit by Sue Minter - This was one of my first "healing gardens" books. I really like Minter's first chapter, "The Healing Arts: A marriage of botany and medicine" for its overview of the history of healing gardens and the therapeutic use of plants and nature. In general, her scope is broad, touching on a lot of aspects of healing gardens, from herbs and organic vegetables to Feng Shui and color theory. A delightful buffet for those who like a little bit of everything. There's another book by Sue Minter called The Healing Garden: A Practical Guide for Physical & Emotional Well-Being. I'm not sure how it differs from the one above, and I'm sorry to say I don't have it...yet.

The Healing Garden: Gardening for the Mind, Body and Soul by Gay Search - After a short overview, Search delves into more detail with herbs, both culinary and medicinal; flowers, especially as used for color and scent; water in the garden; and low-allergen gardens. She includes some good plant lists and suggestions for each category, and even a few garden plans.

The Healing Garden: Natural Healing for the Mind, Body and Soul by David Squire (I know, it's confusing that three different books have the same main title. What are you gonna do.) - Squire, too, starts with a nice chapter that gives some historical perspective, including the Garden of Eden, Islamic gardens, monastery gardens, and tea gardens. His next chapter is something of a surprise: "Does Soil Have a Soul?" He's got a good point here, which is that everything comes from the soil, so that had better be healthy first. I appreciate this, since nothing is more depressing - and less nurturing - than a garden that doesn't thrive. After that, each chapter is devoted to one of the five senses: touch; scent; taste; sound; taste; and sight - color, patterns, shapes, and textures.

Sanctuary: Gardening for the Soul by Lauri Brunton and Erin Fournier - This book is all about nature and gardens as sanctuary, and how to find and create sanctuary in your life. I have to say, though I love all of my book-children equally, there's something particularly inspiring about this one. Perhaps because it's more than just a garden how-to book, or perhaps because the photos are just so darn scrumptious. As another indication that this is something special, here are the chapter titles: Peace; Change; Passion; Mystery; and Contemplation. It's one of the few books, along with Derek Jarman's Garden (below) that calls attention to and embraces death as a part of the garden's cycle. There's also a nice section on labyrinths at the end of the book.

A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children by Molly Dannenmaier - Wonderful ideas for creating and embellishing spaces that nurture young people. A must-have if you've got kids or clients with kids. Or just for the kid in you.

Healing Gardens by Romy Rawlings - I'd say that "holistic gardening" is the main thrust of this book - that to create a garden that is healing for us, we must create a healthy garden. In other words, be good to the earth and she will reward you. After an overview of this concept, Rawlings focuses on the following topics: Feng Shui (a whole chapter, looking at the various schools); color therapy; herbalism, with both culinary and medicinal herbs; aromatherapy; and styles of gardens, including meditation and Zen.

Gardens for the Soul: Designing Outdoor Spaces Using Ancient Symbols, Healing Plants and Feng Shui by Pamela Woods - This book (not surprising, given the title) delves a little more into the spiritual. Woods, who is a dowser as well as an artist and landscape designer, begins with a chapter on garden energy. The next chapter focuses on ancient symbols like labyrinths, medicine wheels, mandalas, and spirals. Woods also talks about how using universal patterns can make us feel more connected to nature the earth.

Spiritual Gardening: Creating Sacred Space Outdoors

by Peg Streep - This book, more than any of the others, is about creating sacred space and a place where you connect with your spirit, or soul, though nature. Streep touches on myriad different spiritual gardens, including Zen, Gaia, Celtic, and Biblical, and several different methods of connecting with nature including aromatherapy, Feng Shui, and labyrinths. For those who are more spiritual or even religious, this book more than the other ten will speak to you. But even if you're not, it's a good pithy read with lots of great pictures and quotes.

Derek Jarman's Garden by Derek Jarman - It's funny how many of the above-listed books refer to Derek Jarman's garden and have at least one picture of it from this book. It's one of my personal favorites, too. Not your garden-variety garden book, but truly beautiful, inspiring. and life-affirming.

Did I miss any? Leave a comment and let me know! Always looking for more great inspiration books to add to the list...and to my bookshelf!

'Re-Creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging' - Excellent New Book

2009-12-14T15:14:00.001-05:00

This from a recent New York Times article:

"In two years, baby boomers will start to retire [if they haven't been forced to already due to the recession!], and by 2030 the number of American's elderly is expected to reach 72 million, more than double the number in 2000. Demographers expect the suburbs to age particularly quickly, as residents retire close to home, or as those who have already moved to the Sun Belt return to live near relatives as they grow frail."*

Those are some pretty astonishing numbers. It's what some people have referred to as "the baby-boomer tsunami," and we as a culture need to start planning and designing now. Luckily, some people have been already.

Re-creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging edited by Pauline S. Abbott, Nancy Carman, Jack Carman (who serves on the Therapeutic Landscapes Network's Advisory Board), and Bob Scarfo, is a timely new book that addresses these issues and highlights interesting and creative solutions. Drawing from the fields of gerontology, health sciences, community planning, landscape architecture, and environmental design, the book provides an in-depth examination of current elder housing practices and strategies, alongside goals for the future.

Housing models, such as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), shared housing, and co-housing, are evaluated, and best practice recommendations are presented. Expert contributors also incisively explore interdisciplinary issues including

the causal relationship between health and the environment
challenges posed by America's automobile-dependent suburban communities
elder-friendly design principles, including universal design and defensible space
restorative benefits of nature and green environments
assistive technology that can support older adults' independence
retrofitting of naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs)

The book closes with an inspiring look at opportunities for future collaboration of the health sciences and the planning and design professions for the realization of supportive, life-affirming communities that will result in healthy aging, active living, and continued social participation for older adults.

*"Suburbs See a Challenge as Residents Grow Old," New York Times 'Metropolitan' section, December 6, 2009, pp. 1 & 8.

A New Way to Improve Quality of Life for Seniors: Excellent DVD Series (with a discount for us!)

2009-12-10T11:10:00.001-05:00

Five years ago, Susan Rodiek embarked on a project to create a series of DVDs about providing better access to nature for older adults. Rodiek, a professor at Texas A & M University's Center for Health Systems & Design, specializes in senior populations, and access to nature has long been a focus for her research and teaching.

Those years of hard work have paid off. I received my "Access to Nature for Older Adults" DVDs last week and I'm truly impressed. The three-DVD series is not just instructional - it's downright inspiring. With beautiful imagery, compelling research and interviews, easily digestible information, and a lot of real, practical solutions to common problems, it's a must-watch and a must-have for architects, landscape architects, planners, educators, and any care provider who works with seniors in continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospices, as well as acute care general hospitals.

Session One, The Value of Nature, describes how access to nature may benefit the health of seniors, from the perspective of experts and available research - addressing the role of programs, policies, and design issues.

Session Two, Improving Outdoor Access, explores how the layout of the building itself can either encourage or discourage outdoor access, and how specific areas - such as indoor-outdoor connections - can be successfully developed.

Session Three, Safe and Usable Outdoor Spaces, highlights the main outdoor features that are reported by residents to impact their outdoor usage, and how these can be improved. Seating, shade, and walkways are among the outdoor elements illustrated.

The Access to Nature website is also chock-full of good information. Some of it is accessible to everyone, and some of it is only accessible if you have the DVDs. So go ahead and buy them! You won't be sorry.

Receive a 10% discount: Between now and the end of January 2010, Therapeutic Landscapes Network members and readers of this blog will receive a 10% a discount when you buy any or all of the Access to Nature DVDs. Just enter this promotional code in the checkout section on the Access to Nature website: TLNA2N.

The TLN Store is Now Open!

2009-12-08T16:20:00.017-05:00

The TLN Store is up and running!

The virtual doors have been flung open, the shopping carts are waiting to be stuffed, the products are poised to fly off the shelves. So stop in, do your holiday shopping, and tell a friend or two or three. All proceeds go to the Therapeutic Landscapes Network. Thank you, and happy shopping!

Our beautiful echinacea "mascot" is courtesy of (and copyright) Henry Domke - many thanks, Henry.

Upcoming Conferences on Environments for Aging

2009-12-03T12:49:00.012-05:00

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Though they're about 4,000 miles away from each other, both of these upcoming conferences look really good. If you're looking to learn more about this subject, connect with others in this field, or earn CEUs, here are two excellent opportunities.

Elderly Care By Design International Symposium and Workshop

London, England, Feb 18, 2010

"Examining how investment in the design of environments for older people, from hospitals to residential facilities, nursing homes and facilities for the end of life, can support independent living, health and wellbeing, the event will be attended by an interdisciplinary mix of researchers and practitioners from government, academia, health and social care providers, and private industry."

Environments for Aging .10

San Diego, CA, March 21-23, 2010

Founded and produced by Long-Term Living magazine and the Center for Health Design.

"Environments for Aging is a comprehensive, three-day experience to explore new ideas for creating appealing and supportive places for people as they age. The program will enable you to share common goals, innovations and best practices, and to gain inspiration through a gathering of like-minded individuals who have a vision for the future and who will be instrumental in shaping it."

If you register by 12/31, you save $440.www.efa10.com.

Know of other good conferences that our members would want to know about? Leave a comment, or contact us through the TLN website.

Therapeutic Gardens Bloom in Senior Living Communities

2009-12-02T14:48:00.004-05:00

Intergenerational gardening at Glacier Hills Retirement Community

Continuing our discussion on "aging in nature," here's a great article from Assisted Living Success. I've cut and pasted the first section here, but I strongly encourage readers to click on the link to read the full article. Full of all lots of good information and inspiration about gardens for seniors, including some great "how to" tips.

Therapeutic Gardens Bloom in Senior Living Communities

By Mona Del Sole

Drifting through the garden at sunset is the aroma of just-picked basil and tomatoes mixing with the perfume of lavender. My grandmother clanks down her garden tools brought from home, gathers her harvest and shuffles along the winding pathway. Pausing to remember her way, she's guided by a specially designed walkway and soothed by whispers of a poetry reading nearby. She places one foot in front of the next toward what seems an uncertain destination. Soon her journey safely ends at the patio where she began, greeted by friends and iced tea.

Perhaps you've heard them called restorative, healing or memory gardens. Or maybe you've not heard about the therapeutic garden before now. Yet there is mounting research on the benefits of these specially designed gardens and an increase in their establishment within senior living communities.

Want to boost staff retention? Some say that you should consider the therapeutic garden. Reduced resident stress, improved satisfaction and better health outcomes are being reported for residents. And, for families who are dealing with the transition of a loved one from home to facility, the garden is an attractive feature. After all, it is likely that gardening was once a favorite hobby.

Meander through a therapeutic garden and you'll find carefully selected flowering perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees. Containers and furniture are strategically placed to create spaces that are inviting and enjoyable. Discover sitting areas with specific themes such as a butterfly garden, sensory garden, vegetable garden, fragrant garden and shade garden. Safety, comfort and meeting the needs of the senior population are key elements of the design.

To read the rest of the article, click here. You can also order reprints from this site.

In the above photo, a resident of Glacier Hills Retirement Community in Ann Arbor, MI gardens with students from the Go Like the Wind Montessori School through a project called GRO - Generations Reaching Out. To learn more, visit the ElderTree Network. Many thanks to Suzanne for sending the image and links!

Aging in Nature - It's Never Too Late to Play Outdoors!

2009-11-21T10:25:00.011-05:00

"Mac" in his garden in Santa Fe, NM

In my next few posts, I'm going to focus on the over 60 set, as there's a lot of great research and design about therapeutic landscapes for seniors. This is such an important area of our field. Having access to and being active in the outdoors is good for everyone, but I would venture to say (backed up by research) that it's especially critical for the youngest and oldest generations.

Young kids need fresh air, sunlight (remember rickets? It's coming back because kids aren't getting enough Vitamin D!), exercise, and the sense of discovery that only the natural world can provide; it's essential for physical, mental, and emotional development.

And much later in life, as getting out and about becomes more difficult, interaction with nature becomes all the more important - perhaps even more so than in between youth and old age. Exercise maintains health by stimulating blood flow, keeping muscles strong and ligaments flexible, and by maintaining bone density and strength. Staying interested in the outdoors provides continued sensory stimulation, which keeps the mind as well as the body active and strong. Getting outside also facilitates social interaction, a critical factor in maintaining well-being. More specifics on all of this, and mentions of good resources, in the next few posts.

In the meantime, a personal story: Above is a picture of Mac. He was my neighbor in Santa Fe, before I moved to the Hudson Valley, and he hired me to design a garden for him and his wife. They both had loved to garden in their younger years, but due to her very limited mobility and his near-blindness (that's black tape over his glasses lens, before he got an eye patch), they had stopped. Their back yard was a wasteland of weeds and gravel that was impossible to navigate. We worked on a plan that would provide a smooth walking surface (colored concrete) with several places to stop along the way, as well as destinations to move toward; plants that provided shade, seasonal interest, sensory stimulation, and that attracted wildlife; and a design that they could also see and enjoy from inside the house, and that would entice them outside (in sight = in mind).

And we were pretty successful. The week that the garden was finished, Kay - who had not been in her back yard for years, and who hardly went outside period - ventured out with her walker, with Mac by her side. After that, they walked through the garden every day, several times a day. In good weather (which in Santa Fe is most of the time) they walked to "their" apple tree (they had planted it as a sapling decades ago), the farthest place from the door, and sat side by side in its shade, gazing out, commenting on the darting hummingbirds, or what was blooming, or how much water the mossrock boulders had collected in the afternoon's rainstorm. After a few months, I started to see them walking up and down the sidewalk on the street as well - Kay had gotten strong enough to venture out of their small back yard garden and take on the more challenging slope of our street. This was especially encouraging because it meant that she had the opportunity to interact with neighbors, thereby broadening a social circle that had gotten pretty darn narrow.

So, this is but one of many, many examples of the power of one healing garden to change and improve someone's quality of life. It's never too late to play outdoors, and it's up to us to help make that happen. Do you have a good example that you'd like to share? Please leave a comment! I would love to start gathering more of these stories, because as convincing as the quantitative research is and as much as we need it, I think it's the personal stories that resonate and motive individuals. If you can share images, too, all the better.

Photograph by Lee Anne White

TKF Foundation Seeks Firesoul Guide & Office Manager

2009-11-17T11:29:00.009-05:00

Image courtesy of Robert Rodriguez Jr.

The TKF Foundation, a wonderful organization based in Annapolis, MD, is seeking a "Firesoul Guide" and Office Manager.

Firesouls are the "sparks behind the creation of sacred spaces. Their energy, enthusiasm, patience, and persistence inspire communities to come together around the creation and use of public greenspaces." The TKF foundation is a private grant-making foundation whose purpose is to create "Open Spaces, Sacred Places." It partners with organizations to create sacred places which increase a sense of community and contribute to a deepening of human connections." They do excellent work, and they're looking for the right person to help.

For the full job description and contact details, visit the TKF website.

Other TLN blog posts about the TKF Foundation include a review of their book Open Spaces, Sacred Places, and a link to a good article by Anne Raver in the New York Times.

The Seeds That Are Watered Frequently (Thich Nhat Hanh)

2009-11-15T18:39:00.009-05:00

Image of bur oak courtesy of Henry Domke Fine Art

Your mind is like a piece of land planted with many different kinds of seeds: seeds of joy, peace, mindfulness, understanding, and love; seeds of craving, anger, fear, hate, and forgetfulness. These wholesome and unwholesome seeds are always there, sleeping in the soil of your mind. The quality of your life depends on the seeds you water. If you plant tomato seeds in your gardens, tomatoes will grow. Just so, if you water a seed of peace in your mind, peace will grow. When the seeds of happiness in you are watered, you will become happy. When the seed of anger in you is watered, you will become angry. The seeds that are watered frequently are those that will grow strong.

- Thich Nhat Hanh in Anh-Huong & Hanh, 2006, 22

Tomorrow! Making Space for Therapeutic Horticulture

2009-11-12T14:37:00.004-05:00

Image courtesy of Anne Dailey

If you are a horticultural therapist or a designer of healing gardens and other restorative outdoor environments and you live in or near NYC, don't walk - run - to this tomorrow:

"Making Space for Therapeutic Horticulture"

Therapeutic Horticulture Network Group Meeting

Friday, November 13, 1-4 pm

"Making space for therapeutic horticulture - at our institutions, on our grounds, and in our busy schedules - can be a challenge. Come prepared to share your stories about making space for therapeutic horticulture in your work. There will be lots of time for networking, so don't forget to bring your business cards!"

At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue between Parkway and Empire Blvd.

The afternoon will feature networking activities and will include brief presentations on local therapeutic horticulture projects. Refreshments will be served throughout the meeting.

Thanks to Anne Wiesen, the beautiful brains behind the Restorative Commons, for sending information about this meeting.

"Defiant Gardens" and Other Resources for Veterans

2009-11-11T15:18:00.020-05:00

Image courtesy of Gardening Leave

For this post, on Veterans Day in the United States, I'd like to share some information about resources specifically for veterans.

While many veterans returning home from war have to deal with physical trauma, almost all suffer from emotional trauma and strain. On the extreme end is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can be debilitating for not just the individual veterans but for their entire family and community. More and more research has been coming out about gardening, exposure to nature in a safe setting, and horticultural therapy as effective tools for fighting PTSD and other stress-related problems.

Here are some resources about work that is being done around this issue:

Gardening Leave (gardeningleave.org) is a UK charity, founded by Anna Baker Cresswell, for ex-Servicemen and women with PTSD and other mental health troubles. The goal is to combat stress through horticultural therapy activities - growing fruit and vegetables - in a walled garden setting, where people feel safe and protected. The program has been developed in accordance with plans by Combat Stress (Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society).

The Acer Institute, founded and directed by P. Annie Kirk, teamed up with the ASLA Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network in 2005 to host a day-long conference, "Therapeutic Garden Design and Veterans Affairs: Preparing for Future Needs" at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. You can download most of the presentations, see photos and movies, and even request the CD, on which all of the information is compiled, from Acer's website.

Since that conference, Annie has been creating a list of therapeutic (healing) gardens at VA Facilities. You can access this list from Acer website's VA healthcare page (you just have to fill out a short form first). You can also add to the list, helping Acer to keep building this knowledge base.

Another great resource is the website Defiant Gardens, which came from Kenneth Helphand's book by the same name. I am so impressed with Helphand's scholarship, and my admiration goes beyond his consistently good research and writing. In this case, it's truly inspiring.

What are "defiant gardens?" They are, in the words of the author, "...gardens created in extreme or difficult environmental, social, political, economic, or cultural conditions. These gardens represent adaptation to challenging circumstances, but they can also be viewed from other dimensions as sites of assertion and affirmation." Helphand's book focuses on "Trench Gardens" on the Western Front in WWI, "Ghetto Gardens" in Nazi Europe, "Barbed-Wire Gardens" created by allied prisoners of war and civilian internees in Europe and Asia in the World Wars, gardens in Japanese internment camps in the United States during WWII, and gardens following WWII.

What I appreciate most about the website is that it includes information from the book, but also keeps going from there, encompassing prison gardens, community gardens, and gardens in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and even Guantanamo. The most recent post is the text from a New York Times article on gardens in Afghanistan.

And here's another really nice post by my fellow landscape architecture and blogger colleague Rochelle Greayer: "I Gardened for My Life: The Defiant Gardens of POWs on Veterans Day." Thanks for the mention, Rochelle. Always happy to inspire:)

And finally, here's a link from the Farmer-Veteran Coalition (Farmers helping veterans, veterans helping farmers") to a post about Nadia McAffrey, a Gold Star Mother (she lost her son in the Iraq war) who founded Veterans Village "to provide compassionate healing and living environments for returning veterans damaged by their war experience." They are expanding to sites in Minnesota and New York, "where land is available for farming and gardening - important components for both the healing and the livelihood for the communities." Thanks so much to Sharon for these links!

Green Walls for Healing Gardens

2009-11-09T10:56:00.007-05:00

This post has moved! Please visit the Therapeutic Landscapes Network Blog at our new WordPress home, http://www.healinglandscapes.org/blog/2009/11/green-walls-for-healing-gardens/ to see more pictures and read what we have to say. We're keeping the comments here, though, since they were so great. See you over there!

Patrick Blanc's 'Mur Vegetal' in Paris -Quai Branly

Extending the Healing Garden's Season: Fall Foliage

2009-11-07T11:30:00.005-05:00

Fall foliage season has definitely wound down here in the Hudson Valley, but other parts of the country are still in full swing, so here's a post about extending the healing garden's season with fall foliage (and late-blooming flowers).

Autumn crocus at the High Line

Designing for fall color is an excellent way to keep people interested in the garden long after many of those summer blooms have faded. Of course, late-season bloomers like asters, mums, blanket flower, autumn crocus (pictured above), some kinds of roses, and anemones (to name a few) are great, and all the better for pairing with bright-colored foliage like the asters and serviceberries at the High Line (below). A great book for inspiration is Late Summer Flowers by Marina Christopher.

I also think there's something poetic, inspiring, and strangely reassuring about something burning so bright just before going into dormancy.

Below are some of my favorites. All of these photos were taken by me (Naomi Sachs) in late October in Zone 5.

Serviceberry (also called Juneberry and shadbush)

Japanese maple

Trees

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
Maples, especially Japanese, red, and sugar (Acer spp.) - not all maples put on a good show, so do your research before-hand
Black gum, or sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica) - brilliant red
Sassafrass - incredible range of reds, oranges, and yellows. Hard to transplant, but worth trying.
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) - brilliant yellow. One of the things I miss most about living in Santa Fe, NM.
Gingko and honey locust are two more great trees for bright yellow splendor
Dogwood (Cornus florida and C. kousa, to name just two) - and those beautiful red berries that attract all kinds of birds; Cornus species is one of my favorites for multi-season interest (beautiful flowers in spring, nice foliage in summer, great fall color, red berries that attract wildlife, and a lovely form even without leaves).
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) - deep red with long frothy white flowers for contrast.

Oakleaf hydrangea

Climbing hydrangea, happily co-existing with an oak, at Stonecrop Gardens

Shrubs

Sweetspire (Itea virginica, especially 'Henry's Garnet'); I have heard that they perform well even in part shade, which is great - many plants depend on full sun for a good show
Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) - yes, delicious berries AND red fall color, too.
Several (but not all) Hydrangea species, including oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia), climbing (H. anomala subspecies petiolaris). Many hydrangeas, such as oakleaf and Pee Gee, also sport blossoms that turn to soft roses and buffs in the fall, and they often stay on after the leaves have fallen.
Fothergilla - let's just say "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat"
Most of the sumacs, including Rhus typhina - they also get nice fuzzy red seedheads that persist through the winter and attract birds.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.) - Some kinds, like 'Arnold's Promise' and 'Jelena' vary from year to year. Last year, mine were bright reds and oranges, this year they were much more yellow. Go figure!

Geranium macrorrhizum

Perennials, grasses, ferns

Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) - low groundcover; leaves turn bright red
True geranium (esp. Geranium macrorrhizum and G. sanguinium)
Hosta (leaves turn a brilliant yellow, if only briefly before they look like they've melted into a strange puddle)
Several kinds of ferns, including Dryopteris erythrosa and Osmundia regalis
Bergenia - gorgeous bright red
Most ornamental grasses. Some personal favorites for brilliant autumn display are switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), big bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and some kinds of maiden grass (Miscanthus spp.). For more inspiration on ornamental grasses, see Planting the Healing Garden: Ornamental Grasses.

Some plants have tried-and-true stellar autumn color, while others vary depending on geographic location, the amount of sun they get, and even microclimate. To make sure something is going to be as bright as the books and websites say it is, I like to visit as many gardens, nurseries, and parks as I can in my area to see for myself. I did not list burning bush and barberry for two reasons: First, they are both overused in the landscape--those of is in the trade call them "gas station plants" because of their boring ubiquity; and second, they are both invasive in the northeast because they seed prolifically (birds carry the seeds everywhere and deer don't eat them, so they are taking over our forests).

Resources: Though googling is always an option, some good books for reference and inspiration include: Fallscaping: Extending Your Garden Season Into Autumn; Autumn Gardens by Ethne Clarke; Gardening with Foliage Plants: Leaf, Bark, and Berry, also by Ethne Clarke; The Year in Trees: Superb Woody Plants for Four-Season Gardens; The Autumn Garden; and Fall Foliage: The Mystery, Science, and Folklore of Autumn Leaves by Charles W.G. Smith isn't so much a planting guide but looks like a really fun read. Michael Dirr's Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is one book I use all the time because each plant gets several images, giving you a sense of what it looks like through the seasons.

Many thanks to @yardhalf (http://www.ayardandahalf.com/) for some great suggestions on twitter! Have other suggestions for fall color or resources? Leave a comment!

All images in this post are by Naomi Sachs.

A Garden is a Grand Teacher

2009-11-03T14:29:00.014-05:00

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches us patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.

~ Gertrude Jekyll

Upcoming Talk (and a PBS show!) by Esther Sternberg

2009-10-22T16:58:00.009-04:00

If you liked my interview with Esther Sternberg about her excellent book Healing Spaces: The Science and Place of Well-Being last month, here's your chance to see and hear her in person:

Dr. Sternberg will be speaking at Trinity Church in Boston, MA on Sunday, November 8th. See details in the Arnold Arboretum press release below.

Sternberg is also going to be hosting the PBS show called "The Science of Healing." It airs in Washington, D.C. on November 28th and will probably air repeatedly after that, so check your local stations for dates and times. More on her website, esthersternberg.com.

Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being

Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., Chief of Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior and Director of the Integrative Neural Immune Program National Institute of Mental Health
1 Session
Sun Nov 8 2:00–3:30pm [Trinity Church]
Can a pleasant view speed healing? In this lecture, Dr. Esther Sternberg will present the science of mind-body connections and human perception as it relates to place. Using examples from her book, Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being, to explain the neurobiology of the senses, she will explore how a theme park, concert hall, cathedral, labyrinth, or garden can trigger or reduce stress, induce anxiety or instill peace. Dr. Sternberg will provide clues to how and why we respond to our surroundings that could influence the places we create in the future.

Fee $10 members, $15 nonmembers
Register for this class online or by phone/mail.

Co-sponsored by the Arnold Arboretum and Trinity Church in the City of Boston

Upcoming Conference: Healthcare Design 09

2009-10-21T12:22:00.006-04:00

Image of dogwood leaves courtesy of Henry Domke

Healthcare Design 09 is probably the largest national conference addressing the intersection of healthcare and design. It is founded and produced by the Center for Health Design (CHD) in association with the American Institute for Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). CHD's focus is primarily for architects, but there's plenty for landscape architects and designers to sink their teeth into. I can't go this year, but if I could, here are some of the sessions I'd be attending:

A Practitioner's Guide to Evidence-Based Design
Environmental Influences That Improve Outcomes: Biophilic Healthcare Design (Roger Ulrich)
Participatory Contextual Research for Ambient Experience Design of Healthcare Facilities
The Scandinavian Example - Four Different Projects and Patient Focus
Do Positive Distractions Influence Human Behavior? A Study of Pediatric Patients in Two Waiting Areas
Incorporating Labyrinths as Components of Optimal Healing Environments
An Overview of Recent Psycho-Social Research on Environments for Seniors
The Role of Sustainability in Creating Healing Environments
TAMU First Look Colloquium: Active Living Environments
Experiment to Study How Nature Images Impact Physiological and Psychological Responses to Pain
Green Roofs for Existing Hospitals - A Case Study
Healing Gardens and Horticultural Therapy - Creating Outdoor Environments for Healing

And these are Facility Tours I'd be interested in attending:

Tampa General Hospital Bayshore Health Pavilion: Hospital has a "landscaped internal courtyard."
Shands Hospital - University of FL: "The hospital was designed around a 'Central Park'-style healing garden, where a water feature leads patients and families to the main entry."
Florida Hospital - Altamonte: "The new lobby and chapel are surrounded by a reflecting pool and haling garden."

For those of you who are going, please report back! More landscape architects need to be involved with CHD, for our and their sake and - most importantly - for the benefit of patients, family members, and health practitioners who occupy the indoor and outdoor spaces we help design.

Blog Action Day '09: Climate Change and the Nature of Nature

2009-10-14T12:47:00.004-04:00

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Today is Blog Action Day, and the subject of this year's Blog Action Day is Climate Change.

Hm, what do therapeutic landscapes have to do with climate change...? Well, apart from the obvious (green spaces mitigating the built environment), here are some thoughts:

Why is nature, and our interaction with it, so restorative? Erich Fromm, and then E. O. Wilson, called it "biophilia," the attraction to life. Research by environmental psychologists has shown repeatedly that people respond especially well to plants and water. The more heavily planted the garden, the more positive the outcome for the users (in other words, people using the garden feel better when there is more, rather than less, plant material). The ideal ratio is 60% softscape (plants) to 40% hardscape (paving, etc.). The presence of water also seems to have a positive effect on people.

Of all of the elements of nature, why especially plants and water? Here are some of my thoughts on the subject:

We know, intuitively, that we need nature - and especially air (oxygen), plants, and water - in order to survive. And thus we experience them as beautiful, and comforting, and inspiring. Being in the presence of plants and water makes us feel good because we know that they sustain us. They don't need us (in fact, they would be better off without us, by all accounts). But without them, we would quickly perish. Without oxygen, water, and plants, our planet would not be earth, that beautiful blue sphere that you can see all the way from the moon. Plants are living, breathing things. They not only symbolize life; they are alive. And through their living and breathing - as they breathe, taking our carbon dioxide and replenishing it with oxygen - we breathe and are sustained. And one big thing that we have in common with plants: they, too, need water in order to survive and thrive. Which is maybe why we respond so positively to water, its sound, sight, even smell and taste. Water = life.

To most people, plants and water are beautiful because they embody life. And in a world where there is a goodly amount of ugliness, pain and suffering, beauty is a comfort because it reminds us that life is worth living. Beauty is comfort and inspiration because beauty is life.

Design Inspiration from the Huntington Children's Garden

2009-10-14T10:40:00.027-04:00

This post has moved! Please visit the Therapeutic Landscapes Network Blog at our new WordPress home, http://www.healinglandscapes.org/blog/2009/10/design-inspiration-from-the-huntington-childrens-garden/ to see more pictures and read what we have to say. We're keeping the comments here, though, since they were so great. See you over there!

Morton Arboretum's New Children's Garden

2009-10-12T15:05:00.005-04:00

Image courtesy of LandscapeOnline.com

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL (25 miles west of Chicago) has just opened a new Children's Garden, and it's getting rave reviews, including this one by Leslie McGuire for LandscapeOnline.com, "The Best Backyard in the World."

Designed by Herb Schaal of EDAW Fort Collins, the four-acre garden is intended to "spark children's curiosity about the natural world" in a safe place that "combines different experiences that challenge physical, cognitive, and emotional development in delightful ways while teaching all about natural systems."

McGuire goes into depth with descriptions of the various areas of the garden, including Backyard Discovery Gardens, Tree Finder Grove, Kid's Tree Walk, Adventure Woods, and the Central Plaza. It's a good read, with lots of pictures to spark the imagination.

Children's gardens in arboreta, botanical gardens, and other parks are often so creative. Unlike your average playground with a bunch of plastic equipment on some rubber surface, these children's gardens are all about making discovery and learning full of fun, wonder, and delight. I just visited the one at the Huntington Gardens and was so impressed. I'll be blogging about that soon. I only wish that that same imagination could be employed more often in children's gardens in healthcare facilities. Why is it not? Do we lack the budget? Are we scared about litigation? Are we creating generic "healing gardens" that are designed as contemplative spaces instead of as places where kids can run around, play, be distracted, and blow off steam? What do you think, dear reader? Also, if you have a favorite children's garden, in a healthcare facility or not, please share by leaving a comment; we'll add it to our growing list on the (new improved!) Therapeutic Landscapes Network website.

Image courtesy of LandscapeOnline.com

Nature Makes Us Nicer!

2009-10-06T17:18:00.010-04:00

Image courtesy of Sarah Olmsted at Imagine Childhood

Nature makes us nicer. And more community-oriented. And more generous. I know, some of you are thinking "Duh-uh, we knew that all along." Well, now you have your proof.

A new study by the University of Rochester found that even after just looking at pictures of nature, people felt closer to their community, were more willing to give money to a charitable cause, and cared more about social outcomes than they were after looking at "man-made" scenes. Researchers explain that connecting to nature also helps people to connect to their basic good values. Just imagine how much more exponentially multiplied the results would be if people were to experience nature in person rather than just by looking at pictures. See the Treehugger article for the full story.

So go on, pat the bunny! Imagine Childhood is one of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network's Wonderful Sponsors. Visit their website and show them some love. The have all sorts of wonderful things to make the most of you and your kids' outdoor experience, and Sarah's blog is filled with beautiful images of nature. One of these days, I'm going to buy the same camera that she has.

And if you're feeling generous after reading this post, donate to the TLN. We will put your gift to good use! Here's another picture for inspiration:

Image courtesy of Sarah Olmsted at Imagine Childhood

Dirtworks' David Kamp on "Nature for Everyone" at NYBG

2009-10-05T12:11:00.007-04:00

Image courtesy of Dirtworks, PC

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has a great lineup for their Landscape Design Portfolio series this fall.

On October 26th, David Kamp, Principal of Dirtworks, PC will lecture on "Nature for Everyone." David will begin with an overview of the concept of creating restorative spaces and will then outline the collaborative approach used to incorporate nature, healing, and design. It will also explore specific site design issues unique to “special needs” populations. Several internationally recognized projects will be presented, notably the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden and the Keene State College Natural Sciences Courtyard. Dirtworks has been a long-standing member of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network, listing their firm with our Designers and Consultants Directory.

The next talk, on November 2nd, is Walter Hood on "Sampling and Enmeshing the Urban Landscape." I admire Walter's work because not only are his designs aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating, they are also humanly functional; he has a knack for listening to the clients and the community he's designing for. Walter recently won the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in the category of Landscape Design.

For 90 years, The New York Botanical Garden (www.nybg.org) has been helping people achieve their horticultural education goals. Many students are career changers who come to the Garden from a variety of occupations including marketing, information technology, law, and medicine to explore horticulture job opportunities. The Garden offers 500 different courses each year comprising seven certificate programs.

All lectures are at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY on October 26, 2009. For more information on The New York Botanical Garden, please visit www.nybg.org or call 718-817-8700.

The image above is of the Natural Science Center Courtyard at Keene State College in Keene, NH

Live! Therapeutic Landscapes Network Launches New Site, HealingLandscapes.org

2009-09-29T09:50:00.005-04:00

Our Echinacea "mascot" image, courtesy of Henry Domke

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network is pleased to announce the launch of our new website.

Same url, HealingLandscapes.org, same great content (actually we've added more), and many new features, including:

Search function within the site;
Blog and site under one virtual roof;
Larger, richer images, with more on the way;
Updated Designers and Consultants Directory with a map for geographic as well as alphabetical search (contact us if you'd like to be added to our Directory);
Expanded Therapeutic Gardens Directory (map coming soon, too);
Sponsors who help fund the work that we do (individual donations are also most welcome);
Sound! Click on "play birdsong audio" on the left-hand side of the home page;
And coming soon, a Network Forum within the site for members to share information and ideas.

And that's just the beginning. We're pretty happy with our new site, and we hope you will be, too. Take a spin around, and let us know what you think.

Many thanks to our "early adopter" Sponsors Landscape Forms, Imagine Childhood, and Lee Anne White Photography. Contact us if you would like to become one of our Wonderful Sponsors.

And many thanks to Wayne William Creative for their beautiful design and to Randy Caruso for his technical magicianship. Please visit our Credits and Thanks page to see all of the talented people who helped us get off the ground.

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network is the leading resource for information, education, and inspiration about healing gardens, restorative landscapes, and other green spaces that promote health and well-being. We are a knowledge base and gathering space for a global community of designers, health and human service providers, scholars, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts. Connecting people with information...people...nature.

Essential Design Elements for Therapeutic Gardens

2009-09-28T11:11:00.004-04:00

Hulda B. and Maurice L. Rothschild Garden, Evanston, IL

On the the first day of the ASLA Conference in Chicago this year, I went on a Field Session where we toured three therapeutic gardens in three different locations. It was a great day, and I'll be blogging more about that soon.

But in the meantime, I've been thinking a lot about essential design elements for therapeutic gardens. Much research has been done about features that are important in healing gardens, such as the presence of lush vegetation, movable seating, sensory stimulation, and so on. But before we even get to that, there are a few really important rules for creating successful and safe therapeutic gardens in the healthcare setting. I'm talking less about other Landscapes for Health like parks or private gardens or nature preserves, and more specifically about gardens in hospitals, nursing homes, treatment centers, hospices, and other places where people go to either get well or die gracefully in good, loving, capable hands.

So, here goes:

1. Design for the client (the "user").

Cookie-cutter doesn't cut it. Who will be using the garden? In a general hospital, sure, you have to design for lots of different people. But for a children's garden, or a retirement community, or a cancer center, your clients' needs will be very different and the garden must address those specific needs. Listen and pay close attention to those clients and to the staff (including horticultural or other types of therapists - they are your absolute allies). Do the research to find out what types of gardens and what design elements are most important for a particular population. Hire a consultant who is an expert in this area. Design for the client.

2. Design for comfort.

You're designing an environment for people who are extremely vulnerable. Patients are sick or are awaiting diagnosis or treatment; family members and friends are worried and may have their own issues with hospitals and other health care facilities; staff and caregivers are under extreme pressure. So make the garden comfortable! Physically and emotionally. I'm all for modernist, avant garde, cutting-edge design in the right context. But in a therapeutic garden, you want to design for physical and emotional comfort. Remember the basics from site planning 101 about temperature, sun and shade, protection from wind and noise, etc.. Here again, knowing who your client is will enable you to really design for that specific population. Design for comfort.

3. Design for safety.

When talking about design for therapeutic gardens, Roger Ulrich likes to quote part of the Hippocratic Oath, "to do no harm." This is the physician's #1 priority, and it must be the designer's as well. So make sure your pathways are smooth and easy to navigate (but also slip-resistant). Make sure you're not using poisonous or prickly plants, especially in gardens for children and the developmentally disabled. Make sure benches are easy to get in and out of. Make sure the door leading to the garden is easy and safe to get in and out of! Design for safety.

4. Design for maintenance.

There's no point in designing an amazing garden that looks great in the first year for the magazine photos and then looks terrible - or even worse, is dangerous - because it can't be maintained. Again, this is about designing for the user. Talk to the administrators, find out who will be maintaining the garden, what sort of budget is alloted, who will be coordinating. This is not the fun stuff that we designers went to school for, but it is an essential component of what we do. Design for maintenance.

So when designing a garden for palliative care, we should ask these questions every step of the way: Is the space being designed for the people who will use it? Is the space comfortable, both physically and emotionally? Is the space safe? Can the space be maintained over many years? If yes, yes, yes, and yes, we're well on our way to creating a successful healing garden.

The new website has lots of good information on Evidence-Based Design (EBD) in the Resources section, and we'll be adding more soon in the EBD area.

As always, I welcome your comments and feedback. Have another essential element? Leave a comment for me and our other readers.

Today's Healing Garden: Sitting Quietly, Taking Nature In

2009-09-25T14:39:00.008-04:00

I've been pushing myself a little too hard lately. Getting the new website up and running (yes! www.healinglandscapes.org), preparing for the ASLA meeting (it was great - blog posts about that coming soon), getting sponsors for the new site (see who we have so far), and seeing to the needs of my design clients. And what happens when we push ourselves too hard? Our bodies push back.

So, here I am with a miserable cold. Today, despite still feeling like I have way too much work to allow me to take any time off, I forced myself to spend some time in the garden. Not gardening - I did that a few days ago, for several hours, and wore myself out! Gardening is a great way to stay healthy, but if you're already compromised, take it easy. Gardeners, myself included, are so used to working in the garden that we often forget that we should just be in the garden from time to time. Today, I seriously needed to convalesce. My health depended on it.

So that's what I did. I sat in the garden. I felt the sun and the breeze on my skin. I listened to the rustling leaves, and the birdsong, and the crickets, and the distant hum of traffic. I watched the light and shadows echoing around me, and took in the greens and yellows and greys and browns of the landscape. I smelled the faint tinge of autumn, which for me always brings a bittersweet mixture of excitement and sadness. I watched and listened to my dogs snuffling around, and petted their soft fur when they stopped by to say hello. I rested and let the world in.

A healing garden - a therapeutic landscape - should be, and can be, many things. It depends what we (the "user") need. Designers must listen carefully to determine the needs of their clients so that they can design the most therapeutic garden possible. We can create places for positive distraction, or quiet contemplation, or family gatherings, or exuberant play, or even a careful orchestration of all of these in one space. And we who use the garden must know what we need, in general and day to day. I'd wager that most of us work too much, and that we don't give ourselves enough time to enjoy what we work so hard to maintain. So today or tomorrow, if you can, I encourage you to go into your garden, or out onto your front porch or your back fire escape, or over to your nearest park or nature preserve, and just sit quietly and take nature in. Sometimes this is the most healing thing we can do.

Interview with Dr. Esther Sternberg, Author of Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being

2009-09-16T10:13:00.014-04:00

Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. is the author of a new book, Healing Spaces: The Science and Place of Well-Being (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press). The book has been reviewed extensively by a broad range of publications and blogs. So rather than write yet another review, I asked Dr. Sternberg for a telephone interview to discuss some the topics specific to landscapes and health. Before joining the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Sternberg was on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She is also the author of The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions, is a regular book review contributor to Science magazine, and lectures nationally and internationally for lay and scientific audiences. You can learn more about Dr. Sterberg on her website, www.esthersternberg.com, and you can watch an author interview here. Many thanks to Dr. Sternberg for this illuminating conversation.

Who was your audience for this book? Everybody! This is a crossover book, meaning that it’s for everyone from scientists to “educated laypeople” – non-scientists, anybody who might want to find a healing space. It’s also for architects, designers, students, and other young people - which is why I used more populist language, metaphors, and examples. One of the crucial steps in bridging different disciplines is learning each other’s language. The book has been favorably reviewed across a wide spectrum of journals, magazines, and blogs, from The Lancet, The Scientist, and New Scientist to the L.A. Times and New York Times, to People magazine – which tells me that the book has been successful in reaching a broad audience.

You refer in your book to Roger Ulrich’s seminal “View from a Window” study that was published in Nature in 1984, which made the scientific community take notice of environmental psychology as more than just a “soft science.” Since then, Ulrich and colleagues have been documenting the physiological effects of people’s experience of nature by measuring blood pressure, heart rate, temperatures, etc. How have recent technological advances in neuroscience changed the ways that research on environmental influences is carried out? There are two kinds of research in this area: First, studying whether something works (and under what circumstances), and second, studying how it works. Ulrich’s ‘View from a Window’ and other clinical studies are the former, and neurosience focuses more on the latter. We may already know that people benefit from being in or looking out onto a garden. But why, and how? Is it the light, the color, the movement, or something else? We can now use technology such as MRIs, PET scans, and other brain imaging to try to answer those questions, and to try to tease out which environmental factors are creating which responses.

Is stress reduction the primary reason that passive experience of nature (rather than active experiences, like gardening or exercise) is restorative? Or is there some other way that it is also beneficial? There are two ways that nature (and other environmental factors) can have beneficial outcomes. First, yes, by reducing stress and its negative effects; stress itself does not cause disease, infections, and so on, but it reduces the body’s resistance to illness and disease, harmful viruses and bacteria. So reducing stress can help foster health and healing. But there’s a second important way that nature works: By enhancing the positive. Positive sensory experiences trigger positive responses and reactions. They turn on parts of the brain that are rich in endorphin receptors (and endorphins make us feel good). We can’t actually measure the level of endorphins in a person’s body, but through brain imaging we can see that parts of the brain that are rich in endorphin receptors become active when there is positive stimulus, such as seeing a beautiful vista, or smelling a fragrant plant, or hearing birdsong. Therefore, we can assume that more endorphins are being released. And perhaps this is why gardens and other natural landscapes are so restorative: They provide a multisensory experience in which more than one positive response is triggered – light, color, sound, scent, touch - all combine to a create a rich positive experience.

Can neurological studies now “prove” theories such as those by Stephen and Rachel Kaplan? They argued that we are less stressed by nature than we are by, for example, being on a crowded city sidewalk, because nature elicits “soft fascination” rather than the extreme concentration needed in less naturalistic environments. Yes, theories like the Kaplans’ make sense on a neurological level, because different parts of the brain are activated when you are in a threatening vs. a non-threatening “focused attention" situation. A non-threatening situaton is less emotionally charged, thus requiring less vigilance. In the book, I use the analogy of the maze vs. the labyrinth. The maze is stressful. We don’t know how to get out, we have too many choices, we might get trapped inside – the body’s stress hormone axis [see pg. 98] kicks into high gear. But with a labyrinth, you are not faced with stressful choices. You enter and exit through one point, you can see the whole thing, and you are led on a simple, calming path.

Has any research been done yet on the effects of people walking labyrinths? Not yet. Probably the closest is Eduardo Macagno and Eve Edelstein’s study at UCSD using StarCAVE technology (virtual reality) combined with measuring brain activity through EEGs to study how people negotiate space. In one study, they found that in navigating a building without the usual landmarks, people who could see light and shadow were still able to navigate. When those clues were taken away, people lost their ability to find their way. This kind of study may be able to help with discovering better wayfinding clues for hospitals and nursing homes, even for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

All of it is fascinating and it’s very important for general health, for maintaining health, and for personal health. A lot of data out there in neuroscience research tells us that place matters. We are affected by our environment, and if we manipulate our surroundings to reduce stress and to provide positive responses, we will benefit.

Song for Autumn - A Poem by Mary Oliver

2009-09-15T10:15:00.000-04:00

Mary Oliver is my favorite poet right now. I picked up New and Selected Poems Volume Two after reading a piece about her in the New York Times Travel Section. So many of Oliver's poems - most of them, in fact - are about her observations of and interaction with the natural world. This one seems appropriate for at least half of the world right now:

Song for Autumn

In the deep fall

don't you imagine the leaves think how

comfortable it will be to touch

the earth instead of the

nothingness of air and the endless

freshets of wind? And don't you think

the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,

warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep

inside their bodies? And don't you hear

the goldenrod whispering goodbye,

the everlasting being crowned with the first

tuffets of snow? The pond

vanishes, and the white field over which

the fox runs so quickly brings out

its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its

bellows. And at evening especially,

the piled firewood shifts a little,

longing to be on its way.

I found this poem online at Poetry Daily. Visit their website to see many more poems and to learn about who they are and what they do.

Guest Blog Post by Shawna Coronado: Ball Horticulture Teaches Employees How To Tend To Nature and Their Health by Building a Community Garden

2009-09-11T16:18:00.001-04:00

Thanks to conservation/green/community/health guru Shawna Coronado for this excellent guest blog post about Ball Horticulture's transition for lawn to employee-run community gardens.

Think about this – across the globe many businesses, churches, synagogues, mosques, and community centers are surround by a sea of an utterly useless plant – grass! What positive effect does acres of grass have for an organization? You cannot feed people on grass. American businesses and organizations use tons of chemicals to maintain the grass, which then cause damage to our water tables nationwide. If we are not mowing grass with carbon producing equipment, we are wasting water on it. This is such a tremendous and inane waste of our resources. It simply makes no sense.

My proposal to you dear reader – follow Ball Horticulture’s example of ditching some of the grass and building a healthy community. Ball Horticulture’s exciting move has been to do something about all that useless grass. They have created one of the first employee-run community gardens in the nation.

There is an unfathomable connection between nature and health. Healthy veggies grown with no chemicals; sunshine which produces good mood endorphins in our brains when we are exposed to it; fresh air which is a welcome escape from the confines of the typical closed environment office. This is just the beginning of what Ball Horticulture hopes to encourage with the creation of the Ball Horticulture Employee Community Garden.

Susan Schmitz, Trials and Education Manager, gave me a tour of the community gardens. Overflowing with every vegetable imaginable, 120 employees have come together to grow their own fresh food in 5’ X 8’ plots. According to Susan, half of those participating had never grown a vegetable before in their lives.

While Ball Horticulture is obviously experienced with plants, they realized that their various employees might not be. Therefore, to assure a higher success rate, Susan and her team came together to host seasonal training workshops. Knowing that veggies can quickly get out of hand in size, Susan felt the first step was having the employees understand what a 5’ X 8’ plot would look like. She taped the plot out on the floor and set out a couple plants on the imaginary plot to demonstrate spacing.

Education soon expanded to planting, weeding, and maintenance concerns, eventually growing into what veggies might be planted late in the season after the spring veggies peaked.

Susan also had a bi-weekly email resource and a company bulletin board established for further assistance with seasonal Ball Hort Veggie Plot Board suggestions and questions which might help the employees have a better chance of succeeding.

Soon employees were growing masses of veggies and feeling very proud of themselves. They weigh each garden’s harvest on a produce scale so they can keep track of just how much locally grown and healthy food was produced. Many individuals choose to give all their veggies to the Giving Gardens Program, which donates the food to local food pantry’s.

While visiting the gardens, I was astounded at how truly beautiful they are. Each plot is labeled with the “owner's” name, giving the employees a strong sense of ownership, responsibility, and accomplishment. Therefore, they are all wonderfully maintained.

Please make a difference in your community by helping people in this difficult economic time. All you businesses, churches, synagogues, mosques, and community centers do your community a favor - DITCH THE GRASS and BUILD A GARDEN. Make a difference today!

Shawna Lee Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, health, and greening expert focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle. Shawna has been featured on ABC News (Chicago), WGN 9 News (Chicago), Oklahoma Gardening TV and Local Access 10 TV.

Special written features on Shawna can be found on CNN Health,

Chicago Tribune Local,and The Daily Herald (see Media Coverage).

Visit Shawna's prime website for more information on her books and other media - www.thecasualgardener.com. Be sure to visit www.gardeningnude.com for lots more conservation, greening and health tips.

Almost there! Therapeutic Landscapes Network gears up to launch new website

2009-09-11T13:17:00.017-04:00

The Therapeutic Landscapes Network is working feverishly to launch our new website in time for the annual American Society of Landscape Architects Meeting and Expo next week (and the American Horticultural Therapy Association and Healthcare Design 09 conferences soon after that).

Above is a sneak peek at our beautiful homepage. Oooh. Ahhh.

This isn't just a superficial makeover. We've reconfigured the TLN site to offer

improved searchability and richer imagery;
an expanded Designers and Consultants Directory;
an expanded Directory of Therapeutic Gardens;
sponsorship opportunities for businesses and organizations to promote their products, services, and expertise;
an integrated blog (website and blog all under one virtual roof);
an interactive Network Forum where members can meet and share information and ideas;
and more information than ever before on gardens, landscapes, and other green spaces that facilitate health and well-being, for an even broader global community of designers, health and human service providers, educators, students, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts.

Want to get in on the action before the launch? Easy:

Email us at info@healinglandscapes.org if you'd like to list in our Designers and Consultants Directory or be one of our fabulous sponsors.
Sign up here (or with the form in the right-hand column - same thing, different look) to become a member and get on our mailing list. It's free, and we'll put you on our newsletter list so we can tell you right away when we launch the new site.

Oh, and if you aren't following us on twitter yet, join us there, too! We've got 2,000 followers so far, with more coming every day.

First Children's Outdoor Environments Newsletter

2009-09-09T09:14:00.011-04:00

"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold."

- Joseph Chilton Pierce

The ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Children's Outdoor Environments Professional Practice Network (PPN) has published its first newsletter, and it's an indicator of many more good things to come from this group, formed last year by Jena Ponti (the Chair), Robin Moore*, and others. To link to the newsletter, click HERE.

Encouraging children and teens to play outside, to interact with nature, is so important. Our future - and more importantly, their future - depends on it. I've blogged about Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, his organization the Children & Nature Network, and his work on passing "No Child Left Inside" Legislation (sign the petition HERE!).

If you're interested in this topic, here are some other really good organizations, websites, and blogs to get you started (have other suggestions? Leave comment and we'll add it to this list).

Robin Moore's Natural Learning Initiative
The National Institute for Play
The Green Hour
The Grass Stain Guru
The Child & Nature Alliance
Playscapes: A Blog About Playground Design

What's Out There

Our ASLA conference is coming up in a little over a week, and several education sessions focus on children's outdoor environments and play. See this blog post to learn more about those.

*Robin C. Moore is also the author of my favorite book about plants for children's gardens, titled - aptly - Plants for Play. In addition to an extensive list of ideas about what to plant, he also provides a good list of what not to plant - plants that are potentially harmful. Good to know!

Thanks, Aryeh, for the picture!

Edible Gardens are Healing Gardens

2009-08-30T13:34:00.021-04:00

Image courtesy of Anne Dailey

I can't believe summer's almost over. It flew by this year. Depending on where you are in this country, or in the world, your growing season is coming to a close (or just beginning, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere - lucky you!). Here in the Hudson Valley, we've got a couple of months left before a hard frost hits, with end-of-the-summer treats like corn, tomatoes (though many fewer this year due to the blight), peppers, and melons. In my own tiny raised bed garden, I've got tomatoes, chard, arugula, and lots of herbs.

I've been thinking a lot about edible gardens as healing landscapes. After all, food is life. What could be more nurturing than good, healthy food? And not just nutritionally, though most of us know by now that the closer our food source is, the more nutrients (and flavor) it has to offer. On top of all that, there is something nurturing to the spirit about growing and eating your own food. Whether you have a few pots of herbs and tomatoes on the deck or fire escape, or an acre of land to tend, or a plot in a community garden or CSA (community-supported agriculture), an edible garden is a healing garden for body and soul.

Alice Waters, Deborah Madison, Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, and even Martha Stewart, to name just a few, are some of the more well-known advocates of eating locally, slowly, and sustainably. The locavore/backyard (and front yard!) farmer/victory garden movement has exploded, and lots of individuals, families, schools, communities, the New York Botanical Garden - heck, even the first family - are getting in on the grow-and-eat-your-own action. And there's a plethora of information out there. On twitter alone, I'm following over two dozen people and organizations devoted to small-scale/local farming and agriculture and edible gardens. Not sure when to plant radishes? Debating about sowing a cover crop? Thinking of saving seeds from your heirloom squash? Just google it. A great example low-tech analog and high-tech digital living happily ever after.

And what a great learning experience for children, to know not only what real zucchini or blueberries or carrots taste like, but how they grow (vine, bush, in the ground below those frilly green tops).

Image courtesy of Allison Vallin and A Tasteful Garden

This New York Times "One in 8 Million" piece on Buster English in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood really touched me, and hits on several of the ideas in this post.

To really get the most out of your edible garden as healing garden, here are some suggestions:

1. Grow organic: Avoid pesticides and herbicides. After all, a big part of growing your own food is creating a healthier alternative for you, your family and friends, and your neighbors. The people and the soil and the creatures who live in and around it will thank you.

2. Start small: If you've never "farmed" before, don't take on too much at once. Plant what (or maybe even less than) you think you'll need or that you have time to tend. Nothing puts a damper on your enjoyment of a garden like feeling overwhelmed, guilty, or inept. You can always do more next year.

3. Grow stuff you really like, or that you can't get enough of locally (for example, even if I wanted to buy sorrel, it just isn't available around here; and the first thing I'd plant if I had more space would be a fig tree); or that's expensive to buy at the store/market (another example: I don't grow potatoes or onions because I can get them cheap. Arugula, on the other hand...).

4. Teach the children: Put your kids to work! Or better yet, set aside a part of the garden that's just for them. Radishes, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, and many herbs are easy to grow, even from seed. Here's an article on the "top ten" kid-friendly veggies (and fruit) and another on the ones that might be a bit more of a challenge. What magic, to put a tiny radish seed into the ground, to water and care for it, to see a tiny shoot emerge, to tend it some more, and then pull it out of the ground and savor its bright pink, spicy peppery crispness. And what joy to be a part of that discovery and delight.

5. Include your elders. Maybe it's your parents, or your grandparents, or other relatives, or the elderly couple that lives down the street. Maybe it's residents of a nearby senior center. Many people from earlier generations grew up farming, or at least tending a kitchen garden, and they have knowledge and stories to share. In return, you can share some of your bounty with them. If I had my druthers, intergenerational gardening would be the next big thing.

6. And speaking of which: Share! If for no other reason than to impress your neighbors with your farming acumen, give some of your harvest away. What a truly generous gift.

7. And last but not least: Enjoy. Every time I bite into one of my home-grown tomatoes, I'm blown away not just by the taste; I also feel a deep sense of wonder and gratitude. Such beauty, such flavor, such nourishment. To me, that's about as healing as it gets.

Image courtesy of Claire Brown and Plant Passion