Those of us who write at JardineriaOn like to sink our fingers into the earth and enjoy the relaxing sensation caused by the aroma of wet earth, pine needles and blooming buds. Gardening is therapeutic and that is why various activities are carried out around it, being Horticultural Therapy one of the most widespread these days.
Horticultural Therapy is nothing more than the care of plants and flowers but for therapeutic purposes to accompany patients with different diseases.
Index
- 1 Knowing the Horticultural Therapy
- 2 Horticulture and autism
Knowing the Horticultural Therapy
Horticultural Therapy is also known as Horticultural Therapy and it is a practice that delves into plants and their care in order to help people suffering from psychiatric disorders as well as disabled people, the elderly and children . It is a therapy that takes advantage of the benefits of nature but always with the aim of achieving improvements in people.
Thus, caring for plants, trees, flowers and shrubs provides the opportunity to put into play a series of skills and abilities that help patients in their conditions, both in motor and psychosocial aspects.
As has been proven, gardening tasks and contact with nature have de-stressing effects and that is why it is common to feel a certain serenity when we are in the garden taking care of our plants. However, in the case of patients with different problems, gardening becomes a bridge that allows them to improve mental skills, increase their memory level, perform better in manual tasks or gain independence . This is why in several countries of the world there are Horticultural Therapy Associations that delve into the benefits of caring for plants in people’s health.
Horticulture and autism
Both garden and orchard activities are ideal for people with physical and mental disorders because the constant growth and development of the plant kingdom helps people stimulate their senses. That is why for many years gardening and horticulture have been used for therapeutic purposes in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The American Association of Horticultural Therapy was founded in 1973, while in many of these countries horticulture is part of the Social and Health Sciences.
The case of autistic children is a great example of how horticultural therapy stimulates their senses . The children prepare the land, then plant the plants and vegetables, take care of the development and maintain the gardens and orchards, taking advantage of these different stages to incorporate notions about arithmetic, improving their social skills and their literacy while helping them to make friends and to be able to express themselves. .
They say that nature is wise and that is why contact with the earth and life in the open air is of great potential for all human beings. Why not take advantage of it then?
