ASLA 2011 Handout #13488 Restorative Spaces/Healing Places: How to Turn Landscapes into Healing Gardens Session Description: The human nature connection is vital to human health. Not only limited to hospitals or treatment facilities, the principles and practice of therapeutic garden design can enrich our experiences in all landscapes. This session will present the basic concepts, theory and value of therapeutic gardens, including research and evidenced based design principles, detail the healing properties of many plants and materials, and demonstrate how a therapeutic approach complements and strengthens the Sustainable Sites Initiative principles. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the basic concepts of therapeutic garden design theory and evidence based design principles and how they can be successfully integrated into any landscape design. 2. Learn the benefits and importance of the human nature connection and the multidimensional healing properties of specific plants and materials. 3. Discover how applying therapeutic garden design theory and principles to any landscape will complement and strengthen the Sustainable Sites Initiative guidelines and principles. Presentation Outline: I. Introduction (Erickson) II. Theory and Principles of Therapeutic Garden Design (Koepke) a. Define Therapeutic, Restorative, and Healing Gardens i. Eckerling ii. Marcus and Barnes b. Research and Theory i. A brief explanation of Preference Theory ii. Prevailing Theories 1. Biophilia Hypothesis, E.O. Wilson 2. Environmental Values Theory, Stephen Kellert 3. Cognitive, Content & Spatial Perception Theory, Stephen and Rachael Kaplan iii. Application and Theory 1. Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv 2. Psycho evolutionary Theory, Roger S. Ulrich
III. Design Applications (Carman) a. Public Gardens Looking at public gardens along the national Mall in Washington, DC i. Compare examples of gardens visited and restorative characteristics of each b. Semi Private Gardens i. Nursing home and other assistive care residences ii. Healthcare settings c. Private Gardens i. Individual residences ii. Gardens for people with special needs IV. The Human Nature Connection (Sutton) a. Importance of contact with nature i. Wild vs Urban Nature b. Value of direct plant contact i. Aromatherapy research and application in landscape setting ii. Imprinting nature the intrinsic value of plant contact c. Plant selection and uses i. Common garden plants with demonstrated healing properties 1. List of plants/uses, attached 2. Weeds: medicinal and nutritional properties ii. How to easily use plants fresh or dried from the garden 1. Fresh uses: food, poultices, fragrance, etc. 2. Drying plants for teas 3. Tinctures and salves V. Therapeutic Healing Gardens and the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) (Sutton) a. Key principles of SSI that support therapeutic garden settings i. Site Design: Human Health and Well Being 1. Provide for optimum site accessibility, safety and wayfinding: (Credit 6.5) 2. Provide opportunities for outdoor physical activity: (Credit 6.6) 3. Provide views of vegetation and quiet outdoor spaces for mental restoration (Credit 6.7) 4. Provide outdoor spaces for social interaction (Credit 6.8) ii. Site Design: Soil and Vegetation 1. Use appropriate, non invasive plants (Credit 4.2) 2. Use native plants (Credit 4.7) b. Additional benefits of therapeutic garden design that support the SSI guidelines and principles
i. Theory and site design practices for therapeutic gardens enhance human health and well being at many levels ii. Fragrant herbs naturally deter many unwanted insect pests iii. Healing herbs and native plants naturally attract beneficial insects for pollinating and managing unwanted pests iv. An organic approach ensures user safety and fosters healthy soil biology Speaker Bios: Susan Erickson, ASLA, RLA is a registered Landscape Architect in Iowa and serves as a Program Coordinator for the College of Design at Iowa State University. Susan is professionally engaged in activities related to therapeutic garden design, elder friendly community design, healthy community design, and community engagement. She is a contributor to Service Learning in Design and Planning: Educating at the Boundaries, soon to be released. Susan is the 2010 2011 Chair of the Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network for the American Society of Landscape Architects. Marguerite L. Koepke is professor Emerita at the University of Georgia. For 30 years she taught graduate and undergraduate courses in design and technology and established a graduate and undergraduate research and design focus in therapeutic landscapes. In retirement from academic practice, Ms. Koepke is actively involved in design projects with Atlanta s Emory Healthcare including gardens and landscapes connected with the University Hospital Neuro Intensive Care Unit, Wesley Woods Acute Care, and Mason Transplant House. Jack Carman, FASLA, RLA, CAPS is president of Design for Generations LLC, a landscape architecture design firm specializing in the development of therapeutic gardens and landscapes in healthcare and senior communities nationwide. He is co editor and contributor to the recently published book Re creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging. Jack actively works to promote the creation of healing outdoor environments through national associations and conferences. Sarah Sutton, ASLA, RLA, LEED AP, Bay Friendly QLP, is a registered Landscape Architect and Principal at The Planning Center DC&E, in Berkeley, California. Ms. Sutton is also Past President of the ASLA Northern California Chapter. She brings over 25 years of experience in the public and private sector including parks, streetscapes, trails, housing, plazas, creek and habitat enhancements, all with a focus on sustainable practices. Ms. Sutton also pursued certifications in Healthcare Garden Design at the Chicago Botanic Garden and as a Natural Health Practitioner and Herbalist. She brings this holistic perspective to her design practice and her forthcoming book on sustainable, healing gardens.
Bibliography Books and Published Material Healing Garden Design "Healing Gardens, Clare Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes, Wiley Press (1999) "Restorative Gardens", Nancy Gerlach Spriggs, Yale Press (1998) "Biophilic Design", Stephen R. Kellert, Wiley Press (2008) Carman, J., & Carman, N. (2008, 2008). Support spiritual wellness through creative outdoor design. ICAA Developer's Guide 2008, 32 40. Healing gardens. from http://www.sustland.umn.edu/design/healinggardens.html Kellert, S. R., Heeweagen, J., & Mador, M. (2008). Biophilic design: The theory, science, and practice of bringing buildings to life: Wiley. Marcus, C. C. (2005, March 2005). No ordinary garden. Landscape Architecture Magazine. Stress Recovery Ulrich, R.S., Simons, R.F., Losito, B.D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M.A. & Zelson, M.(1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11: 201 230. Ulrich, R.S., (1999). Effects of gardens on health outcomes: Theory and research. In C. Cooper Marcus & M. Barnes (Eds.), Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations. New York: John Wiley, pp. 27 86. Ulrich, R. (1984, 27 april 1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224, 420 421. Ulrich, R. (2002). Health benefits of gardens in hospitals. Paper presented at the Plants for People. Whitehouse, S., Varni, J.W., Seid, M., Cooper Marcus, C., Ensberg, M.J., Jacobs, J.J.,& R.S. Mehlenbeck (2001). Evaluating a children s hospital garden environment: Utilization and consumer satisfaction. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21:301 314
Attention Restoration Theory (ART) Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrated framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169 182. Kaplan, R. and Kaplan, S. (1989) The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press. Rodiek, Susan D. (2009). Access to nature: Planning outdoor spaces for older adults (DVD Series). College Station, TX 77843 3137: Center for Health Systems & Design; Texas A & M University. Taylor, A. F., Frances E. Kuo, William C. Sullivan. (2002). Views of nature and self discipline: Evidence from inner city children. Journal of Environmental Psychology(22), 49 63. van den Berg, A.E., Hartig, T., Staats, H. (2007). Preference for nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability. Journal of Social Issues, 63, No. 1, pp. 79 96. Medicinal Herbs and Uses Backyard Medicine Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Julie Bruton Seal and Matthew Seal, Skyhorse Publishing (2000) Growing 101 Herbs That Heal, Tammi Hartung, M.H., Storey Publishing (2000) Guide to Medicinal Herbs, Rebecca Johnson, Stephen Foster, Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., David Keiter, M.D. National Geographic (2011) The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook, James A. Duke, Ph.D., Rodale Press (2000) The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D., Pocket Books (1998) 20,000 Secrets of Tea the Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature s Healing Herbs, Victoria Zak, Dell Publishing (1999)
References: Growing 101 Herbs That Heal, Tammi Hartung, M.H., Storey Publishing (2000) Guide to Medicinal Herbs, Rebecca Johnson, Stephen Foster, Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., David Keiter, M.D. National Geographic (2011) The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook, James A. Duke, Ph.D., Rodale Press (2000) The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D., Pocket Books (1998) http://www.wikihow.com/grow a Pest Repellent Herb Garden