As in any profession, staying informed of evidence-based practices, developing trends and industry advancements is the best policy. In our post-pandemic world, so much has changed, especially within therapeutic service disciplines. In the past four years, tremendous change has occurred in how therapy is delivered, who needs therapeutic services and the demand for those services. Many therapeutic practitioners are struggling to meet the upswing in demand. Nationally, over 41% of adults have reported signs and symptoms of stress-related illness. This number is significantly higher with young ad ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in French, and can be viewed in French here. The first time Frédéric Gabellec left France to explore the world, horticulture was at the heart of the experience from the get-go. With a “Gardening and Green Spaces” diploma in hand, he was keen for an adventure. That’s how he landed in Oregon almost 30 years ago. “I worked for a year in a big nursery on a student visa. It was in the small town of Boring, near Portland and Mount Hood. Growing plants, pest control, shipping, I saw it all from beginning to end. My goal was also to practice English ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in Spanish, and can be viewed in Spanish here. I would like to introduce the PEI FARM CENTRE’s therapeutic horticulture program located in Prince Edward Farm. I was invited to their 2023 TH Conference to share our practice in horticultural therapy with institutionalized children. This is where I met Leah Collett and I asked her to share her experience. I hope you find it interesting! An Inheritance of Agriculture Known for potatoes, Anne of Green Gables and Canada’s best beach destination, Prince Edward Island (PEI) has a lot to offer.&n ..read more

The 2023 American Horticultural Therapy Association conference will soon be upon us. This year the AHTA has something significant to celebrate, a 50th  anniversary. Since 1973, the AHTA has been and remains the singular national organization supporting the promotion and advancement of horticultural therapy as a therapeutic, vocational, and rehabilitative modality. The annual conference will be held virtually this year, on October 20th and 21st. Accessibility for All Laura Simonds-Rumpf, HTR, is a co-leader of the 2023 conference work team. She describes how the work team approached this ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in French, and can be viewed in French here St. John’s College Oxford England “Scientific research is essential to the production of new knowledge to better understand a phenomenon” In the case of a non-pharmacological intervention such as horticultural therapy, it is useful to establish whether it brings benefits to people in a variety of situations linked to mental health or neurodegenerative diseases, rehabilitation following a stroke or accident, post-traumatic stress, and others. In addition, research can attempt to explain how the inte ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in Spanish, and can be viewed in Spanish here. CASE STUDY: CAROLINA By Cecilia Prigue & Karen Consuegra FLORECER, Therapeutic Horticulture, Uruguay Edited by Daniela Silva-Rodriguez Bonazzi January 2023 Case study based on a horticultural therapy program offered to a teenager with ADHD for one month in a psycho-pedagogical Center in Uruguay. The program is offered by two horticultural therapists, trained at the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Peru, who run the “Florecer” program. The adolescent was part of a group that met twice a ..read more

People of the Dawnland The 2023 Fundamentals class, section I, will be conducted within the tranquil setting of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) located in Boothbay, October 12-15th.  Being the easternmost state in the US, Maine is considered the “end of the line” by those from away and for good reason. Within this state, we have the northern terminus for US Route 1, Interstate 95, and the northernmost stretch of the US Atlantic coastal boundary. The Appalachian Trail also ends (or begins) in Maine at the very top of Mount Katahdin.  The Wabanaki, People of the Dawnland na ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in French, and can be viewed in French here. “What am I?” answers Andreas Niepel when I ask him to introduce himself and describe his background during our encounter by videoconference. “I am a gardener.” Then he goes into detail. The 2nd edition of the “Praxishandbuch Gartentherapie” (practical manual of horticultural therapy) written by Andreas Niepel and Gabriele Vef-Georg (2020) “While working in a hospital during my military service I discovered the social and therapeutic value of gardening. Then my first job led me to plant producti ..read more

                              Caring for the Land & People Isabelle Boucq is a French native, a clinical psychologist, published author and former student at the Horticultural Therapy Institute. From 2009-2012, Isabelle was working as a journalist and living in California. During this time, she began to think of ways to combine two passions, writing and gardening. She was introduced to horticultural therapy from an unlikely source, and it piqued ..read more

Note: the following article was originally written in Spanish, and can be viewed in Spanish here. Since I began my journey in horticultural therapy in 2010, I have been discovering horticultural therapy’s wide application and great potential in diverse settings. One of the settings that most captures my attention are school gardens.  Self-esteem – Sense of achievement        Prosocial skills Importance of School Gardens There are many organizations and programs today raising awareness on the benefits and importance of school gardens for the holistic develop ..read more