Therapeutic GardeningPlan of Work

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Pulaski County CES

Title:
Therapeutic Gardening
MAP:
Promoting Health Homes and Communities
Agents Involved:
Wilson
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Situation:

Therapeutic gardening is the cultivation of plants to promote a healing environment, receive mental and physical health benefits, and increase well-being (American Horticultural Therapy Association).  Settings for these gardens include private and public schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, prisons, mental health care facilities, community gardens, and vocational rehabilitation programs.

Several gardens in Pulaski Co could be called therapy gardens. Master Gardeners and the horticulture agent work and do programs at the Children's Garden at the local library, a cancer center garden, and in many other areas in Somerset. A butterfly garden is planned for a local nursing home.

In 2018, Sky Hope Rehabilitation Center opened. It is a 100-bed facility for women with drug addictions. In 2019, a vegetable garden was established at the center.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Improve people's physical and mental health.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Benefits from gardening or being in a garden are physical, cognitive, social, and psychological:

Initial Outcomes:

Learn the basics of gardening. Learn to notice things in the garden.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:

Indicator:

Method: various in-person programs

Timeline: throughout the year

Intermediate Outcome:

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Long-term Outcome:

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Learning Opportunities:

Audience: residents at various centers

Project or Activity: in-person activities

Content or Curriculum:the garden itself, powerpoints

Inputs: Master Gardeners, UK publications

Date: throughout the year


Audience: children

Project or Activity: various activities at Children's Garden

Content or Curriculum: the garden itself, JMG material

Inputs: Master Gardeners

Date:throughout year


Audience:

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Success Stories

Therapy Gardens at Sky Hope

Author: Trent Adkins

Major Program: Community Engagement

Sky Hope Rehabilitation Center is a 100-bed facility for women with drug addictions.  Pulaski County has a large drug abuse problem. Gardening has been shown to have many positive effects on humans.  There are physical, cognitive, social, and psychological benefits such as improvement in self-esteem, alleviation of depression, increased strength and stamina, and decreased stress. Winter programs consisted of sessions on vegetable gardening, straw bale gardening, raised bed gardeni

Full Story

Therapy Gardens at Sky Hope Rehabilitation Center

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)

In Pulaski County's 2018 Community Assessment, substance abuse treatment ranked as important to very important to the 609 respondents. Sky Hope Rehabilitation Center is a 100-bed facility for women with drug addictions.  Pulaski County has a large drug abuse problem. Gardening has been shown to have many positive effects on humans. There are physical, cognitive, social, and psychological benefits such as improvement in self-esteem, alleviation of depression, increased strength and stami

Full Story
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