"In life, as in a garden, you reap what you sow." - Nancilee Wydra
Nothing makes me feel better than being outside on a warm sunny day working in my garden. It helps me relax, gives me time to think and just makes me feel really good. For me it works better than meditation or yoga or even traditional therapy. The stress just melts away as I dig in the dirt and pull weeds. I love the anticipation of wondering what the flowers will look like and I get excited every time a bud blooms. It is such a great feeling to know that I had a part in creating something beautiful. At harvest time I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I can put fresh food on my table and say, "I grew that," or, "That came out of my garden." I love sharing the fresh fruits and vegetables with my family and friends.
Humans possess an attraction to nature, a kinship. Being outside can create feelings of appreciation, peace and tranquility. Gardening can heighten those feelings. After many studies, science is starting to understand that gardening can actually improve health and well-being.
Garden Therapy, also known as Horticultural Therapy, has been implemented in hospitals, prisons, schools and communities. The American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) defines it as "a discipline that uses plants, gardening activities, and the natural world as vehicles for professionally conducted programs in therapy and rehabilitation." The benefits of horticultural therapy include physical activity, relaxation and enjoyment, skill development, creative expression, social development, psychological well-being, sensory stimulation and intellectual and personal growth.
Anyone can benefit from garden therapy, but there are many specific groups that can benefit tremendously from therapeutic horticultural programs, including those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health problems, senior citizens, those with drug or alcohol problems and juvenile offenders. Garden therapy programs can help them develop social, work and numeric skills and offer opportunities for social interaction.
The therapeutic use of plants is an ancient concept, though horticultural therapy as a profession was not established until 1973 by the AHTA. Many hospitals in Georgia have been using garden therapy to help patients for mroe than 40 years, and the North Carolina Botanical Garden's Horticultural Therapy Program has been around since 1978. In 2003 the Chicago Botanic Garden introduced the country's first Healthcare Design Certificate of Merit program, which is a one-year program that applies the latest research in design to achieve specific health care outcomes.
You can reap great benefits from participating in local garden clubs and therapeutic gardening programs, or you can just immerse yourself in your own garden.
 | When the pressure's on, it's even more important that you put yourself first. Applying simple stress management techniques like controlled breathing, exercise and maintaining a healthy diet can help reduce your stress and the risks it poses to your physical and emotional well being. |
 | Feeling stressed? Meditate. Health professionals now strongly encourage stressed individuals to turn to meditation as a form of stress relief. |
 | Everyone experiences some level of |
You're sitting in heavy traffic, late for your daughter's soccer game and your two preschoolers are having a shouting match in the backseat. Your daughter is complaining, "Why are we always late?" Your heart rate is rising and your muscles are tense. |
Coping with stress requires a conscious effort each day. Take time out for yourself, even if only for 30 minutes, to focus reducing stress. |
