Gardens for the Senses Gardening as Therapy, revised and expanded - Paperback

by Tomi Jill Folk (Editor), Hank Bruce (Author)

The garden can be a place of healing, where everyone can be accepted; where stress can be released, and renewal and peace can be discovered. In this book the reader is introduced to the value of therapeutic gardening, and the empowerment of the people-plant connection. This is a "why to garden" rather than a "how to garden" guide for the 21st century. Many of us enjoy gardening for our own therapy, placing us in the moment, noticing the beauty of the world around us. Come along on a journey through the garden as a sensory experience, and explore ways that these personal discoveries can be used to improve the quality of life. Fans around the world who enjoyed the first edition have reported that the chapter on edible flowers is a sheer delight. ***An Added Feature in this Revised Edition AND OF GREAT VALUE is the List of Safe and Dangerous Plants.*** Gardens for the Senses, Gardening as Therapy also introduces the reader to the role of professional horticultural therapists. The reader is invited to explore the ways gardening programs can be used as a therapeutic tool for patients in hospitals or rehabilitation centers, and the residents of senior care facilities; for abuse or trauma/PTSD victims, Alzheimer's and stroke patients, inmates in prison systems, drug addicts and a multitude of special populations. The expanding role of school and neighborhood gardens in growing a sense of community is explored. Enjoy the journey, and remember, "It's about the people, not the plants."

Author Biography

Hank Bruce is a writer, horticultural therapist, hunger activist, teacher and public speaker. He is the former president of the Florida Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Hank has conducted research on the use of plants, flowers and gardening activities as therapeutic tools with stroke and Alzheimer's patients, and the value of gardening activities in the treatment of victims of domestic violence and substance abuse. In April 2007 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Florida Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Association and in 2001 he was given the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the American Horticultural Therapy Association.