Therapeutic Horticulture Australia Information

Our purpose is to support our members to facilitate, deliver or research horticultural-based therapies for a broad range of people within a variety of person-focused services and contexts. We aim to maintain and enhance the capacity of communities, organisations and individuals to support people to experience full and meaningful lives. WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC HORTICULTURE? Therapeutic Horticulture (TH) is a process in which plants and gardening activities are utilised to improve the body, mind and spirit of those people for all ages, backgrounds and abilities. TH is used in many settings, such as hospitals, rehabilitation centres, disability services, aged care facilities, commercial spaces, community and residential gardens. Therapeutic Horticulture techniques and processes are diverse, and include any which use gardens and garden-based activities to promote physical, mental and social health, as well as the health of the planet. TH is practiced by people from different disciplines and draws upon many different fields including, but not limited to: Aged Care Disability Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy Diversional & Recreation Therapy Landscape Architecture Education Social and community services Urban planning and public greenspaces Correctional services Mental Health