Health and well-being

Abstract

Horticulture is considered to be one of a number of activities that promote green- or eco-therapy. Working with plants in a (semi-) natural landscape is thought to provide a range of health and social benefits. Benefits that would not necessarily accrue in an anthropogenic dominated landscape working with artificial materials. The benefit of horticultural activities relate to the promotion of relaxation in stressed individuals through physical activity and exposure to natural/living objects, the promotion of social skills in a socially non-demanding environment (e.g. outdoors, facilitating flexible and mobile group structures) or the ability to set goals, work and achieve results at one's own pace. Although most scientific data cites the stress avoidance/stress relief characteristics of horticulture and green spaces, there may also be an argument for stimulation in some user groups too, although this is less well-defined. The benefits of horticulture are most manifest through Horticultural Therapy and Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (although paradoxically these areas have least scientific evidence supporting them), but even exposure to green landscapes, for example, by viewing natural scenes from a hospital window can provide physiological and psychological benefits. This chapter highlights horticulture contribution to eco-therapy and alludes to how form, quantity and quality of landscape may impact of the extent of those benefits.