Flower Power

By Lisa McLaughlin

Stop and smell the roses has always been sound advice, but who knew it was also a medical prescription? A growing number of researchers and therapists have found that working with plants can enhance your physical and mental health, giving gardening fans yet another reason to dig into the dirt this spring.

Studies show that regular yard work can lower stress levels and provide a workout that compares with other exercise regimes. It's also an effective weapon in battling osteoporosis. Researchers at the University of Arkansas found that women over 50 who engaged in regular home gardening had higher bone-density readings than those who performed activities more typically thought of as exercise, including jogging, cycling, swimming, walking and aerobics.

Just looking at a garden can be good for you. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Terry Hartig and colleagues at the University of California at Irvine split 112 stressed-out young adults into two groups. One group spent time in a room with an arboreal view, followed by a walk in a nature preserve. The second group sat in a windowless room and then strolled through an urban setting. The group exposed to greenery had decreased blood pressure and elevated mood, some in just a few minutes. Studies by Texas A&M University's Roger Ulrich have found that surgical patients in hospital rooms with landscape views recover faster than those without.

Such benefits provide the basis for horticultural therapy (HT), a field with deep historical roots that is blossoming anew in light of research like Ulrich's. Ancient writings show that the Egyptians thought gardening activities to be beneficial, says Nancy Easterling, president of the 700-member American Horticultural Therapy Association. In the modern era veterans' organizations used gardening as physical and emotional therapy for soldiers returning from World Wars I and II. But only since the 1970s has horticultural therapy emerged as a distinct discipline used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and even prisons. Many public gardens, arboretums and conservatories are also developing HT programs.

At the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, Easterling oversees HT programs for adult day care, at-risk teens, adults with developmental disabilities and patients with Alzheimer's. HT is also a valuable tool for treating depression and substance abuse. "It's about using plants as the tool to reach therapeutic goals," says Easterling, who began her career as a clinical social worker but became frustrated when "words were not enough to reach some patients." By using plants, she says, you "create a connection with the natural world. Learning that you can take care of a living thing and it responds can be very powerful."

Gardening is also an excellent tool for physical rehabilitation because it uses large and small muscles and fine and gross motor skills. Linda Ciccantelli, who founded the HT program at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia, works in the hospital's lush rooftop greenhouse with patients who have suffered spinal-cord and head injuries as well as strokes. "When people have a devastating illness, you try to tap into something they want to do," she says. "I have seen standing tolerances improve while people are planting. When you are in the flow of an activity, you aren't as aware of your pain. Gardening helps our patients focus on the ability, not their disability."

Like any other activity, gardening has its hazards as well. Health experts advise wearing sunscreen, keeping a water bottle on hand to stay hydrated, and exercising caution when attempting any heavy lifting.