I took voluntary redundancy from the BBC and embarked on a master ' s degree in social therapeutic horticulture . Once qualified , I went to work at the Bethlem Royal Hospital , the oldest psychiatric hospital in the UK , in its therapy garden . This was followed by a period of time with the Spitalfields Crypt Trust , a charity working with people in the early stages of recovery from an addiction . Then , the job came up at the Eden Project in Cornwall and , as I have family connections in the county , I decided to go for it . And here I am ! I feel very fortunate when I look back on my career to date . The people I ' ve worked with have taught me far more than I ' ve taught them . It has been , and continues to be , absolutely amazing !
How does horticultural therapy differ from community gardening projects ?
Community garden projects and shared allotments have all the benefits of gardening , and the social and therapeutic aspects of gardening together and sharing produce , which are also part of horticultural therapy . The main difference is the focus . The therapeutic aspects tend to be a by-product of community garden projects , which focus on the shared cultivation of the land , whereas in horticultural therapy programmes , the focus is on nurturing people while they garden .
When you ' re weeding , you need to concentrate on what you ' re taking out of the garden and what you are leaving in . The process is so absorbing that often what feels like a 20-minute task has in fact blissfully occupied you for an hour . I think gardening , like art therapy or music therapy , gives you permission to lose yourself in the task at hand . It ' s not about meeting a gardening goal by a set time , it ' s about just setting aside time in the garden and seeing where it takes you .
During our busy everyday lives , a lot of us forget to look after ourselves . In the garden , we can often find analogies between what we do with plants and what we do with ourselves . For example , if we neglect a plant it probably won ' t thrive , and if we don ' t look after ourselves there is the potential for us to develop health issues like anxiety and depression .
If you sow a seed and it germinates , then you need to water and nourish the plant , and create a healthy environment for it to thrive and bear fruit . When you equate that to your own life , you can reflect on whether you ' re eating correctly and nurturing yourself , and whether your lifestyle is creating the right conditions for you to grow and reach your potential .
An obstacle in the garden – such as rabbits gatecrashing the lettuce patch – would be a shared challenge for a community project to work together to solve , but in horticultural therapy we might take that a step further , and look at our reactions to the challenge , consider any learnings , and encourage confidence-building through problem-solving .
Why is gardening therapeutic ?
Occasionally , people diagnosed with learning disabilities join our programme at Eden , but most of the people in our groups have mental health problems . These can affect any of us , at any time , especially in today ' s stressful 24 / 7 world when it is really hard to take time out for ourselves .
When you ' re working with your hands in the soil , everything happens at a slower pace . You might start with a busy mind but things gradually settle down when you get immersed in a task that is challenging enough to focus your mind but still within your capabilities , so you can enjoy the moment .
Gardens are very tranquil places , shaped by the natural forms and colours of the plants and trees , and we share these spaces with birds and wildlife . These tend to attract our attention and their presence can help draw our focus back into the moment . You don ' t need a mindfulness app when you ' re gardening !
Volume 38 ( 2 ) • April 2023
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