Plant Therapy
A number of studies have already indicated that just looking at plants or nature can help alleviate stress, perceptions of pain and improve mood among patients. More recently, studies have gone further to indicate that the act of gardening can also have dramatic and restorative effects on health.
Full article on horticultural therapy.
As the son of a farmer, I’m not sure I agree that looking at plants or tilling the soil has a restorative effect on health. As a teenager, driving the tractor had a rather negative affect on my happiness!
I also remember how anxious my father would become when clouds of the hail-producing type would develop over the farm just prior to wheat harvest.
I’d rather have a canine.
Ditto.
Gardening always seems to raise my blood pressure.
The venus fly catcher probably doesn’t work as well.
I’m looking at plants and they all seem to be bindweed. Wonder if my efforts to eradicate it will be reimbursed as preventive care?
I agree with Ken. I’ll take a dog.
Ref. Plant Therapy
As an avid gardener, I admit that I dislike the amount of work this 69 yr. old gardener has to do,(there are no trained gardeners wanting the business) but – I love the results of pruned hedges, edged lawn areas, weeded flower beds and watered planters.
However, I would not call it therapy for me – the arthritic pain in my hands lessens only if I rest for a week but – I admit I usually sleep better after total exhaustion! The other positive is that I drink a lot of water, skip meals and stay in shape due to non-stop physical activity. It’s cheaper than a Spa membership! Therefore I recommend it for the physically able and those embracing the ongoing learning process of gardeners. (Wearing mosquito spray and sun protection is a must in VA)!!!