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The Many Benefits Of Gardening You’ve Never Considered
Image source: huffingtonpost.com
Horticulture – that is, the art and science of growing plants — has long been employed as a means of enhancing a person’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
The therapeutic effect of gardening has always been obvious to those engaged in this activity as part of a hobby or occupation. There are numerous examples in autobiographies of how active involvement in the planting and nurturing of gardens, or just being in a natural setting, helped people tide over the darker phases in their lives.
Author Kenneth I. Helphand wrote about concentration camp “Defiant Gardens” in his 2006 work by that name. These were small patches of greenery and colors that sprung up unbidden from time to time in concentration camps, Jewish Ghettos, and even in trenches in the war fields, helping people whose lives were riddled with terror and deprivation.
Therapeutic Horticulture gets Recognized
The credit of formally documenting and showcasing the therapeutic effect of horticulture goes to Dr. Benjamin Rush, who is hailed as the Father of American Psychiatry. It was in 1798 that he drew attention to the positive effect of gardening on people with mental disorders.
Subsequently, garden spaces were incorporated into several hospitals and nursing homes in the United States and elsewhere, and it was found that when patients had access to nature, or just had a good view from their windows, it markedly reduced their need for medication and the length of hospital stay.
Source: http://www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/the-many-benefits-of-gardening-youve-never-considered/
