Mark Dwyer Speaks From the Heart Describing Inspiring Healing Gardens

by Mark Dwyer

As creators and caretakers of beautiful gardens and landscapes, the argument can be made that all of our settings have a “healing quality”. They provide beauty, restive qualities and certainly can become a refuge that provides emotional support and the ability to help recharge in our busy lives. I feel that my small, ¼ acre garden in Janesville, WI is a healing garden. However, the term healing garden (synonymous with “wellness” or “therapeutic” gardens), when applied to spaces associated with healthcare facilities, specialty clinics, assisted/ retirement communities and specialized care settings refers to a more intentionally contrived garden space.

These gardens are designed in evidence-informed ways to support clinical outcomes, reduce stress, improve satisfaction and support the health and well being of patients, residents, staff and visitors. Restive gardens, such as monas- tic cloister gardens, Japanese Zen gardens and ancient Persian gardens, have a long history in pursuing many of the same goals. Regardless of the ambiguity of defining these “healing” gardens, their design is focused on providing restorative elements, both passive and active, that benefit users through viewing and immersion.

Quantitative research has shown the benefits of having a restorative garden in close association with care facilities. Statistical studies for decades have confirmed the reduction in pain, stress, depression and length of stay in facilities that provide beautiful garden views and immersive opportunities. Decreased staff stress and increased patient satisfaction is also common in relation to these garden settings. A beautiful, well-designed, well-maintained healing garden reassures a patient or client that they will be given a high level of atten- tion and care and these spaces certainly serve as a contrast to some of the stress and challenges experienced on the inside of the facility. Humans seek nature because it is familiar and they associate these garden spaces with refuge, health and well-being. The idea of the designed environment of a “healing garden” offers similar value in community gardens, schools and prisons.

I’ve been fortunate to be involved with the design of two healing gardens that I’d like to describe as the process was so much less about the plants than the physical layout and clarification of goals prior to any sort of installation. The plantings were certainly important but were the proverbial “icing on the cake” in helping beautify and define the space along with supporting specific, programmatic goals. In both project design instances, a focus on sensory engagement was paramount and this goal