Therapeutic Gardening

Therapeutic Gardening is the purposeful use of plants and plant-related activities to promote health and wellness for an individual or group. A garden benefits you on many levels. One seemingly magical effect of gardening is stress relief. Emotional benefits of gardening may derive in part from the sense of the natural rhythm of life that plants and gardens impart. It can divert thoughts about yourself and your situation. In the garden, you can create and control your environment. This control is empowering. Gardening stimulates all of the senses, giving great pleasure and satisfaction. You can design a garden to challenge your strength and balance, or promote eye-hand coordination, range-of-motion, and endurance to just about any degree you want. Cognitively, gardening benefits the mind. Designing a garden and learning about plants and specific gardening techniques can be done in a number of simple or complex ways. And with books or classes, you can learn new things year-round.

Besides these benefits, gardening brings you together with other people. Human bonds created between gardeners have the potential to transcend social barriers. Gardens invite socialization. Bringing plants and people together promotes cooperation. The garden neither judges nor discriminates. It's a safe environment where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities can come together, connected by the simple fact that we all rely on the earth to survive.

Our therapeutic gardening services are delivered to several populations that include children with developmental disabilities, abused & high-risk youth as well as older adults and the elderly.

Heartland offers a variety of programs, presentations, training sessions and services. Our audiences range from healthcare staff, educators, clinicians to the girlfriend groups and the general public.  Each program or service is designed to meet specific participant goals, yet all share a common focus: connecting people & plants to promote and enhance well-being.

HOW IS OUR GARDEN GROWING?

This latest report comes from Joyce McNish, our Executive Assistant. As each phase of this project becomes a reality, we cannot help but get more and more excited about Heartland's Future!

On Saturday May the 10th, members from four generations came together to bring the Heartland Ranch Organic Garden to life. Working hard that day was Wink, 87 years old, a WWII Army vet, skilled carpenter and lifelong gardener, by his side was his great-grandson Levi who will be four in June. Working with Wink and Levi was Zack, a dedicated, hard-working young man of 15. Three ladies graced the garden with their presence, Debbie, Joyce and Robin (we are unsure of their actual ages, although two did admit to being young grandmothers).

The day started with Wink and Zack sawing landscape timbers in two in order to make 4x4 foot beds, as the beds were made secure and plastic sheeting was applied then in went the "Black Gold" donated by Windwood Bul k Center (this "black gold" was made in part with the barn droppings from our very own horses!). It was interesting to watch as "our ladies" (Debbie and Robin), loaded tub after tub of the dirt and hand carried it across the field, not realizing until after the last tub was dumped that they had wheelbarrows at their disposal (LOL).

Also, intriguing to watch was great-grandfather and great-grandson, sitting on the ground planting potatoes, "make sure the eyes are up, Levi"; "cover them over just like this"; "now we need to water them"; generational wisdom being imparted to the very young!

We have 8 4x4 beds, these include a bed each of potatoes, bush beans, onions and okra (the seed for the okra has been passed down through the years from Debbie's grandmother, (another generational link)). Sugar Baby watermelons; cantaloupe; sweet peppers; cucumbers; yellow tomatoes, red tomatoes; Zucchini and yellow squash plants were all gently placed in the ground, as was radis hes and lettuce seeds.

As a group, we stood back and admired our work and as the Bible says, "It was very good". One last bit of wisdom was shared by our "seasoned" gardener, Wink, as he bowed his head and said "one plants, one waters, but it is God who gives the increase"!

I was at the garden yesterday, we have rows of tiny lettuce and radishes already peeking through the ground and the other plants seem to be thriving also. Truly God is giving us an increase. I can't wait for our first group of Cowpoke Campers to arrive on June 9th, so that we may show them and teach them the joy and the wonder of the way a garden grows......will keep you posted on the progress!