Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!


Wishing you joy and good health in 2010.


Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Resolve to Make Your Yard/Garden/Park a Restorative Space

Manitoga, Russel Wright's garden. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Okay, I give in. Lots of websites are posting suggestions for resolutions; I might as well jump on the New Year's Resolutions Bandwagon with my own recommendations. Not surprisingly, these have to do with creating landscapes that facilitate health and well-being. So, my 2010 resolution suggestion: 


Resolve to create restorative outdoor space for yourself, your family, and even your community. 


Maybe it's a space on your property - your deck, your yard, your garden - that could be better utilized to be a healing space. Allow yourself to dream about what would make that space more special, more conducive to you connecting with nature rather than just storing the grill and fretting about the unmowed lawn.


And perhaps you can take that inspiration out into the community as well: Maybe there's an underused park, or an empty lot in in your neighborhood that could be transformed into a green space that everyone could enjoy and benefit from. Or perhaps a local school, or a nursing home, or community center has a bit of open space that could be transformed into a green haven.


Sometimes the idea of creating a restorative space is daunting, because we imagine that we don't have the funds, or the design skills, or the knowledge to make it happen. I can assure you that the most important ingredient is resolve - a commitment to making things better. Once you've got that, then the rest will fall into place. And the Therapeutic Landscapes Network can help with the rest. Happy New Year!

Oh, and if you're wondering why the spacing is so weird on this post, the answer is: I don't know. That's why my resolution is to finally switch to Wordpress in 2010.

Winter

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Many thanks to www.quotegarden.com/winter for the quote.

Top Ten Gift Books for Healing Garden Inspiration

I realize I'm a little late getting to this, but here are some suggestions for people who are still looking for last-minute gifts (in addition to things from the TLN store, of course!).

If you're a gardener like me and you live somewhere cold where gardening in winter isn't much of an option, then one of your favorite pastimes is sitting by the fire, poring over gardening books and dreaming of spring. And if you're a designer, what better way to get your clients excited about doing more than planting shrubs in front of their house's foundation?

These are all books that I own and refer to again and again for inspiration when designing and consulting about healing gardens (including my own). There are more academic and educational books out there, one of which I recommended in the last blog post, and many more of which are listed on the TLN's References page. We're working on an "If You Only Read Five" page (still in development) that will list books in categories (inspiration, evidence-based design, horticultural therapy, specific populations, etc.), so stay tuned for that.

These ten books are sure to inspire you, or those receiving them as gifts, to create spaces that are truly nurturing to body and soul. And as a bonus, when you buy from any of the links on this post, you'll be nurturing the Therapeutic Landscpaes Network, too. Through the Amazon Associates program, the TLN receives a percentage of each book sale. Of course, if you can find the books locally, all the better. But if you must order by mail, please shop through this post! Just click on the title to link to Amazon.com. So, here we go. My top ten books for healing garden inspiration:

Peaceful Gardens: transform your garden into a haven of calm and tranquillity by Stephanie Donaldson - A very sweet little book (it really is little, measuring 5.5 x 6.5") with hundreds of beautiful photographs and great ideas. I like the mixture of garden styles in this book - everything from traditional cottage-type gardens to wild meadows to very modern, spare, contemplative spaces.

The Healing Garden: A Natural Haven for Body, Senses and Spirit by Sue Minter - This was one of my first "healing gardens" books. I really like Minter's first chapter, "The Healing Arts: A marriage of botany and medicine" for its overview of the history of healing gardens and the therapeutic use of plants and nature. In general, her scope is broad, touching on a lot of aspects of healing gardens, from herbs and organic vegetables to Feng Shui and color theory. A delightful buffet for those who like a little bit of everything. There's another book by Sue Minter called The Healing Garden: A Practical Guide for Physical & Emotional Well-Being. I'm not sure how it differs from the one above, and I'm sorry to say I don't have it...yet.

The Healing Garden: Gardening for the Mind, Body and Soul by Gay Search - After a short overview, Search delves into more detail with herbs, both culinary and medicinal; flowers, especially as used for color and scent; water in the garden; and low-allergen gardens. She includes some good plant lists and suggestions for each category, and even a few garden plans.

The Healing Garden: Natural Healing for the Mind, Body and Soul by David Squire (I know, it's confusing that three different books have the same main title. What are you gonna do.) - Squire, too, starts with a nice chapter that gives some historical perspective, including the Garden of Eden, Islamic gardens, monastery gardens, and tea gardens. His next chapter is something of a surprise: "Does Soil Have a Soul?" He's got a good point here, which is that everything comes from the soil, so that had better be healthy first. I appreciate this, since nothing is more depressing - and less nurturing - than a garden that doesn't thrive. After that, each chapter is devoted to one of the five senses: touch; scent; taste; sound; taste; and sight - color, patterns, shapes, and textures.

Sanctuary: Gardening for the Soul by Lauri Brunton and Erin Fournier - This book is all about nature and gardens as sanctuary, and how to find and create sanctuary in your life. I have to say, though I love all of my book-children equally, there's something particularly inspiring about this one. Perhaps because it's more than just a garden how-to book, or perhaps because the photos are just so darn scrumptious. As another indication that this is something special, here are the chapter titles: Peace; Change; Passion; Mystery; and Contemplation. It's one of the few books, along with Derek Jarman's Garden (below) that calls attention to and embraces death as a part of the garden's cycle. There's also a nice section on labyrinths at the end of the book.

A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children by Molly Dannenmaier - Wonderful ideas for creating and embellishing spaces that nurture young people. A must-have if you've got kids or clients with kids. Or just for the kid in you.

Healing Gardens by Romy Rawlings - I'd say that "holistic gardening" is the main thrust of this book - that to create a garden that is healing for us, we must create a healthy garden. In other words, be good to the earth and she will reward you. After an overview of this concept, Rawlings focuses on the following topics: Feng Shui (a whole chapter, looking at the various schools); color therapy; herbalism, with both culinary and medicinal herbs; aromatherapy; and styles of gardens, including meditation and Zen.

Gardens for the Soul: Designing Outdoor Spaces Using Ancient Symbols, Healing Plants and Feng Shui by Pamela Woods - This book (not surprising, given the title) delves a little more into the spiritual. Woods, who is a dowser as well as an artist and landscape designer, begins with a chapter on garden energy. The next chapter focuses on ancient symbols like labyrinths, medicine wheels, mandalas, and spirals. Woods also talks about how using universal patterns can make us feel more connected to nature the earth.

Spiritual Gardening: Creating Sacred Space Outdoors

by Peg Streep - This book, more than any of the others, is about creating sacred space and a place where you connect with your spirit, or soul, though nature. Streep touches on myriad different spiritual gardens, including Zen, Gaia, Celtic, and Biblical, and several different methods of connecting with nature including aromatherapy, Feng Shui, and labyrinths. For those who are more spiritual or even religious, this book more than the other ten will speak to you. But even if you're not, it's a good pithy read with lots of great pictures and quotes.

Derek Jarman's Garden by Derek Jarman - It's funny how many of the above-listed books refer to Derek Jarman's garden and have at least one picture of it from this book. It's one of my personal favorites, too. Not your garden-variety garden book, but truly beautiful, inspiring. and life-affirming.

Did I miss any? Leave a comment and let me know! Always looking for more great inspiration books to add to the list...and to my bookshelf!

'Re-Creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging' - Excellent New Book

This from a recent New York Times article:

"In two years, baby boomers will start to retire [if they haven't been forced to already due to the recession!], and by 2030 the number of American's elderly is expected to reach 72 million, more than double the number in 2000. Demographers expect the suburbs to age particularly quickly, as residents retire close to home, or as those who have already moved to the Sun Belt return to live near relatives as they grow frail."*

Those are some pretty astonishing numbers. It's what some people have referred to as "the baby-boomer tsunami," and we as a culture need to start planning and designing now. Luckily, some people have been already.

Re-creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging edited by Pauline S. Abbott, Nancy Carman, Jack Carman (who serves on the Therapeutic Landscapes Network's Advisory Board), and Bob Scarfo, is a timely new book that addresses these issues and highlights interesting and creative solutions. Drawing from the fields of gerontology, health sciences, community planning, landscape architecture, and environmental design, the book provides an in-depth examination of current elder housing practices and strategies, alongside goals for the future.

Housing models, such as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), shared housing, and co-housing, are evaluated, and best practice recommendations are presented. Expert contributors also incisively explore interdisciplinary issues including

• the causal relationship between health and the environment
• challenges posed by America's automobile-dependent suburban communities
• elder-friendly design principles, including universal design and defensible space
• restorative benefits of nature and green environments
• assistive technology that can support older adults' independence
• retrofitting of naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs)

The book closes with an inspiring look at opportunities for future collaboration of the health sciences and the planning and design professions for the realization of supportive, life-affirming communities that will result in healthy aging, active living, and continued social participation for older adults.

*"Suburbs See a Challenge as Residents Grow Old," New York Times 'Metropolitan' section, December 6, 2009, pp. 1 & 8.

A New Way to Improve Quality of Life for Seniors: Excellent DVD Series (with a discount for us!)

Five years ago, Susan Rodiek embarked on a project to create a series of DVDs about providing better access to nature for older adults. Rodiek, a professor at Texas A & M University's Center for Health Systems & Design, specializes in senior populations, and access to nature has long been a focus for her research and teaching.

Those years of hard work have paid off. I received my "Access to Nature for Older Adults" DVDs last week and I'm truly impressed. The three-DVD series is not just instructional - it's downright inspiring. With beautiful imagery, compelling research and interviews, easily digestible information, and a lot of real, practical solutions to common problems, it's a must-watch and a must-have for architects, landscape architects, planners, educators, and any care provider who works with seniors in continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospices, as well as acute care general hospitals.

Session One, The Value of Nature, describes how access to nature may benefit the health of seniors, from the perspective of experts and available research - addressing the role of programs, policies, and design issues.

Session Two, Improving Outdoor Access, explores how the layout of the building itself can either encourage or discourage outdoor access, and how specific areas - such as indoor-outdoor connections - can be successfully developed.

Session Three, Safe and Usable Outdoor Spaces, highlights the main outdoor features that are reported by residents to impact their outdoor usage, and how these can be improved. Seating, shade, and walkways are among the outdoor elements illustrated.

The Access to Nature website is also chock-full of good information. Some of it is accessible to everyone, and some of it is only accessible if you have the DVDs. So go ahead and buy them! You won't be sorry.

Receive a 10% discount: Between now and the end of January 2010, Therapeutic Landscapes Network members and readers of this blog will receive a 10% a discount when you buy any or all of the Access to Nature DVDs. Just enter this promotional code in the checkout section on the Access to Nature website: TLNA2N.

The TLN Store is Now Open!

The TLN Store is up and running!

The virtual doors have been flung open, the shopping carts are waiting to be stuffed, the products are poised to fly off the shelves. So stop in, do your holiday shopping, and tell a friend or two or three. All proceeds go to the Therapeutic Landscapes Network. Thank you, and happy shopping!

Our beautiful echinacea "mascot" is courtesy of (and copyright) Henry Domke - many thanks, Henry.

Upcoming Conferences on Environments for Aging

Image courtesy of Henry Domke

Though they're about 4,000 miles away from each other, both of these upcoming conferences look really good. If you're looking to learn more about this subject, connect with others in this field, or earn CEUs, here are two excellent opportunities.

Elderly Care By Design International Symposium and Workshop

London, England, Feb 18, 2010

"Examining how investment in the design of environments for older people, from hospitals to residential facilities, nursing homes and facilities for the end of life, can support independent living, health and wellbeing, the event will be attended by an interdisciplinary mix of researchers and practitioners from government, academia, health and social care providers, and private industry."

Environments for Aging .10

San Diego, CA, March 21-23, 2010

Founded and produced by Long-Term Living magazine and the Center for Health Design.

"Environments for Aging is a comprehensive, three-day experience to explore new ideas for creating appealing and supportive places for people as they age. The program will enable you to share common goals, innovations and best practices, and to gain inspiration through a gathering of like-minded individuals who have a vision for the future and who will be instrumental in shaping it."

If you register by 12/31, you save $440.www.efa10.com.

Know of other good conferences that our members would want to know about? Leave a comment, or contact us through the TLN website.

Therapeutic Gardens Bloom in Senior Living Communities

Intergenerational gardening at Glacier Hills Retirement Community

Continuing our discussion on "aging in nature," here's a great article from Assisted Living Success. I've cut and pasted the first section here, but I strongly encourage readers to click on the link to read the full article. Full of all lots of good information and inspiration about gardens for seniors, including some great "how to" tips.

Therapeutic Gardens Bloom in Senior Living Communities

By Mona Del Sole

Drifting through the garden at sunset is the aroma of just-picked basil and tomatoes mixing with the perfume of lavender. My grandmother clanks down her garden tools brought from home, gathers her harvest and shuffles along the winding pathway. Pausing to remember her way, she's guided by a specially designed walkway and soothed by whispers of a poetry reading nearby. She places one foot in front of the next toward what seems an uncertain destination. Soon her journey safely ends at the patio where she began, greeted by friends and iced tea.

Perhaps you've heard them called restorative, healing or memory gardens. Or maybe you've not heard about the therapeutic garden before now. Yet there is mounting research on the benefits of these specially designed gardens and an increase in their establishment within senior living communities.

Want to boost staff retention? Some say that you should consider the therapeutic garden. Reduced resident stress, improved satisfaction and better health outcomes are being reported for residents. And, for families who are dealing with the transition of a loved one from home to facility, the garden is an attractive feature. After all, it is likely that gardening was once a favorite hobby.

Meander through a therapeutic garden and you'll find carefully selected flowering perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees. Containers and furniture are strategically placed to create spaces that are inviting and enjoyable. Discover sitting areas with specific themes such as a butterfly garden, sensory garden, vegetable garden, fragrant garden and shade garden. Safety, comfort and meeting the needs of the senior population are key elements of the design.

To read the rest of the article, click here. You can also order reprints from this site.

In the above photo, a resident of Glacier Hills Retirement Community in Ann Arbor, MI gardens with students from the Go Like the Wind Montessori School through a project called GRO - Generations Reaching Out. To learn more, visit the ElderTree Network. Many thanks to Suzanne for sending the image and links!