What is Therapeutic Horticulture?

Our Therapeutic Horticulture Program Mission

To support individuals of all abilities and ages in achieving their goals and improving their overall wellness through horticultural activities and learning.

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a place of wonder, discovery, and beauty, but also of healing through land remediation and restoration efforts which began with a community vision. The Garden is a living guide, teaching us how to be in harmony with nature and therefore ourselves. Just like the Garden, everyone has their own remarkable qualities that deserve to be recognized and appreciated.

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden embraces inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility as core values. These values are fundamental to creating a welcoming Garden with programs that expand an awareness and understanding of plants, garden design, and sustainable horticulture to increasingly diverse audiences. Just as we adapt and change within our own surroundings, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is constantly growing and transforming within its environment.

Plants offer a welcoming space without judgment, making the therapeutic horticulture program at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden an ideal environment to explore, learn, discover, and build connections with nature, oneself, and others.

What is Therapeutic Horticulture?

Therapeutic horticulture uses hands-on horticultural and other nature-based activities to achieve diverse therapeutic, vocational, and social-emotional goals. It is an evidence-based, guided, intentional practice that is more about the process than the results. Anyone can participate in therapeutic horticulture, whether it’s your first time planting a seed or you’re an avid gardener.

While therapeutic horticulture is a modern profession, it is not a new concept. Ancient civilizations and Native Americans understood the importance of connecting with the local flora and fauna and living in harmony with the land, and they have been engaging in these practices for centuries. Indigenous communities have sacred relationships with the natural world. This knowledge has been passed on from generation to generation through stories, dance, music, and wisdom.

Today, in what can be a challenging world, therapy and non-invasive therapeutic practices are an important part of our lives. Countless studies show how spending time in nature and interacting with plants improves a person’s social-emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Every year, new studies are published in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture proving the importance of this work. Additionally, the Children & Nature Network is an organization dedicated to disseminating research about the importance of nature in childhood development. They have the largest collection of peer-reviewed articles in the world related to this topic.

Therapeutic Horticulture vs. Horticultural Therapy

Though they are different, both horticultural therapy and therapeutic horticulture are rooted in the same truth: horticultural activities are viable ways to achieve goals and foster human health and well-being. Both can help the same people, just with different approaches.

Horticultural Therapy

According to American Horticultural Therapy Association, “horticultural therapy is the participation in horticultural activities facilitated by a registered horticultural therapist to achieve specific goals within an established treatment, rehabilitation, or vocational plan. Horticultural therapy is an active process which occurs in the context of an established treatment plan where the process itself is considered the therapeutic activity rather than the end product.”

Example: Bob just suffered a stroke and has a goal of regaining strength in his arm. A horticultural therapist works with his physical therapist to design an activity, such as planting and watering a houseplant, to work on this goal.

Therapeutic Horticulture

According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, “therapeutic horticulture is the participation in horticultural activities facilitated by a registered horticultural therapist or other professionals with training in the use of horticulture as a therapeutic modality to support program goals. Therapeutic horticulture is the process through which participants enhance their well-being through active or passive involvement in plant and plant-related activities.”

Example: Bob lives in a senior community and attends a group therapeutic horticulture session where the facilitator has group members plant a raised garden bed while socializing and telling stories about their lives.

A Healthy Ecosystem – Connection, Collaboration & Community

A healthy ecosystem is a diverse, self-sustaining, resilient living system. Interrelationships serve one another to provide food, shelter, and protection for growth, survival, and vitality of the ecosystem. These ecosystems can adapt to change and recover through environmental stress without losing biological, physical, and chemical components. Restoration efforts continue at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to increase biodiversity and build healthy ecosystems. We are building a therapeutic horticulture program that supports the health and diversity of our community to mimic our thriving ecosystems. We strive to collaborate with people, groups and organizations to support and celebrate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Interested in Scheduling a Program?

Book a Therapeutic Horticulture program by completing the program request form. Please include as much detail as possible about your group’s needs and interests. To learn more about programming options, please click here.

Therapeutic Horticulture Program Request Form

If you are interested in volunteering with the Therapeutic Horticulture program at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, click here to apply for the Garden’s volunteer program.