Shelagh's Blog

Hospital Garden Eases Nurse Burnout

October 27, 2018

Legacy Health in Portland, Oregon is making therapeutic gardens a top priority for reducing staff stress and fatigue and for encouraging staff to take regular breaks in the garden near their unit. Legacy Health's interdisciplinary garden design process and their randomized controlled trials are leading the way for other hospitals.

Captivating Garden Trends

September 30, 2018

Allow nature to captivate you and spark joy! Joy in Nature is a 2019 garden trend that captivated me. Read about several garden trends and garden design elements shared by Brian Minter and Karen Chapman in their talks at the 2018 CanWest Horticulture Show.

How I Started a Therapeutic Birding Program

August 21, 2018

It was my first time facilitating a group for these supportive housing tenants and I had no idea whether or not they were interested in birds. Turns out that once asked, they were bursting to share their bird stories with me and their fellow tenants.

11 Simple Therapeutic Birding Activities You Can Facilitate

August 20, 2018

Concerned that you don’t know enough about your local birds to facilitate a therapeutic birding program? No worries. Enthusiasm and curiosity go much further than expertise when it comes to inspiring recreational nature engagement. Create space for your participants to share their stories and knowledge, and they will likely teach you a thing or three about your local birds.

Paddling on Ocean Habitat near Naka Creek

June 20, 2018

I think of mammals sharing this watery world with me, moving sinuously through its depths and coming up for air; like the seal that turned my head yesterday with the sound of its breath. We looked at each other from our separate worlds of forested land and salty sea; so foreign to each other and yet closely related as mammals.

Gardening with Kids at Alberta Children’s Hospital

June 19, 2018

Alberta Children's Hospital has several therapeutic gardens where Julie Billo leads popular gardening programs for patients. The kids grow sunflowers and veggies, and make potato salad and ice cream. Julie says, "The kids don't know they're getting therapy".

56 Sensory Plants for Raised Planter Gardens

April 17, 2018

Looking to engage your garden visitors with sensory plants? I've listed 56 of my favourites. These plants are specifically suited to raised planter gardens in Southwestern British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, and other places with a similar temperate maritime climate.

How to Choose Sensory Plants for Raised Planters (While Avoiding Costly Eye Candy)

April 17, 2018

When shopping at a garden centre, it’s easy to be seduced and overwhelmed by delectable eye candy. So here are a few guidelines for wisely choosing sensory plant varieties for raised planters. You’ll offer your garden visitors a wide range of sensory experiences, make the most of your money and time and avoid costly mistakes (aka invasive plants).

10 Strategies for Encouraging Independent Garden Activities

April 16, 2018

Leverage your time with these strategies, so that more people engage with your garden and experience nature's benefits. Create opportunities, get the word out, and involve people in a variety of ways. Which strategies will you add to your garden program?

Not an Expert Gardener? Eight Nature-Based Programs You Can Easily Facilitate

March 14, 2018

You don’t need to be a gardener or naturalist to facilitate therapeutic garden and nature programs. A sense of curiosity and willingness to follow your participants’ lead are essential in offering these 8 simple, effective nature-based programs.

Noticing Nearby Nature: An Underestimated Mental Health Strategy

February 19, 2018

Noticing nature in your daily life can increase your happiness and well-being. It's easy to underestimate how much better you'll feel!

This article was published in the winter/spring 2018 edition of Psychologica, the OACCPP Magazine: Putting Research to Practice.

10 Signs to Engage your Garden Visitors

January 27, 2018

Signage seems to be a fairly undeveloped strategy for encouraging engagement in therapeutic gardens and school gardens. My theory is that more garden engagement generally means more therapeutic benefit.

This article was published in the winter edition of Growth Point, Thrive's newsletter.

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