Research has shown that when people are in close contact with nature, it helps to meet physical, psychological and spiritual needs. Medieval monastic gardens were
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among the first healing gardens, where monks grew herbs and medicinal plants in cloistered courtyards to heal the sick in mind and body. Patients’ beds were placed where they could look out onto these courtyards, as it was believed that being able to view and recuperate in these gardens helped with the healing process.
This holistic approach, connecting plants and the environment with healing, can be incorporated into a garden, so that it becomes a place of peace and a refuge for the weary; a place where people can go to heal their sadness, to refresh and replenish their inner self, and to distance themselves from everyday worries by working with plants or simply to sit in the shelter of a tree and observe nature.
Designing the garden
This should be an easily accessible garden, where plants are grown organically so they can be safely touched and tasted. Smooth and level surfaces are important for safe walking and paths should avoid sharp turns. A sturdy handrail or tapping rail guides people with limited vision. Raised rounded bricks can mark the edges of paths and seating areas.
Although lawns can cushion falls, they are not suitable where canes or walkers are used, as these can become tangled in the grass. Frail people may find it difficult and uncomfortable to walk on gravel. Canes, walkers and wheelchairs need non-slip, hard-surface paths, and ramps wide enough to easily accommodate a wheelchair. There should be level areas and sturdy benches with backrests, where people can rest and enjoy the garden.
Raised beds make plants easier to reach and touch. These should have rounded edges, be a comfortable height, and allow easy access to the centre without stretching. An alternative to a solid raised bed is to build flower boxes on legs for wheelchair users.
Planting the garden
Therapeutic gardens need to be visually pleasing, as well as accommodating those with special needs. They should be designed to reflect the changing seasons and to stimulate the senses by focusing on sensory plants.
For Alzheimer patients, a garden of herbs, vegetables and scented old-fashioned flowers may help recapture some of their past life, give pleasure and reduce agitation. Paths should be continuous, as dead-ends can cause frustration.
Sight
Colour provides visual stimulus. Bright colours are joyful and happy and a butterfly’s delight. For those with limited vision, large blocks of brightly coloured flowers, such as canna cultivars, marigolds, petunias, Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) and salvia can act as markers and beacons in the garden. Cool colours, such as blue, have a calming and restful effect. Shades of green suggest the coolness of a woodland and moss-covered rocks, rich green pastures and gentle rolling hills.
Touch
Raised beds make plants easier to reach and touch. Only non-poisonous plants should be grown and all thorny and sharp-pointed plants should be avoided, as well as foliage that may cause skin irritations, such as rue and primula. Plants can be identified with weatherproof labels printed in large letters or in Braille. A variety of plant shapes (upright, rounded, weeping) and textures (soft, rough, smooth, papery, silky, leathery) have tactile interest.
Smell
Scent can capture our attention, recalling memories from the past, and stirring our emotions. They may be scents we associate with our childhood, of herbs that flavoured the Sunday roast, or lavender-scented sheets. They may recall summer days and the smell of freshly cut grass, of autumn bonfires, or the damp, earthy smell after rain.
A scented garden is particularly important to those with partial sight or hearing disabilities, whose enjoyment of a garden comes from touch and smell. Seating areas are a wonderful opportunity to use fragrant plants such as buddleja, choisya, dianthus, frangipani, freesia, gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine, lavender, lilies, rosemary, scented geraniums, sweet pea, thyme and violet. It is better to separate different scents with neutral plants, as too many scents can be confusing.
Taste
Plants must not have been sprayed with chemicals. Vegetables that are brightly coloured, such as tomatoes and Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, make harvesting easier for people with limited vision. Herbs such as basil, thyme, marjoram, parsley and chives offer great variation in flavour. Nasturtium flowers and leaves have a peppery taste, while fennel tastes of aniseed. If space allows, include an apple or citrus tree.
Moisture-loving mints that come in many flavours including peppermint, spearmint, apple and pineapple mint provide both taste and smell. Grow mint in containers to restrict roots. Strawberries are always popular and do well in pots, as do salad tomatoes.
Sound
If you listen, there are many sounds and movements to be heard in a garden - wind in trees and rustling leaves, whispering grasses and creaking bamboo, insects and frogs, birdsong and the gentle splash of water. A fountain, rather than a pond, is the safest choice for visually handicapped people, as is a birdbath on a pedestal.
Wind chimes, providing they are not too intrusive, can add further sounds and help the gardener with restricted vision orientate himself.
Garden hazards
Think about the following garden hazards and avoid them:
- Protruding and low overhanging branches on paths and seating areas
- Chipped or uneven paths
- Pointed ends of stakes and canes (protect with a cork)
- Thorny, spiky and poisonous plants
- Wash lines, children's swings and hanging baskets at head height
- Ponds
- Unanticipated benches, containers or ornaments
- Loose stones and exposed tree roots
- Slippery wet wood, moss, leaves and dry pine needles
- Gardening tools left lying in the garden
By Joan Wright
