Healing Gardens and the Blind

From CollabLandWiki

1 Introduction

Introduction

There are many healing gardens and there is a healing garden that deals with blind people. The St. Mary Medical Center is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The medical center's mission statement is To design and create garden areas throughout the hospital campus that offer a soothing environment in which the entire community may come together for relaxation, conversation and quiet reflection amidst the gentle companionship and beauty of nature.

History

Healing Gardens first originated in the 12th Century when monasteries served as the first hospitals. However, since the advances in advancement in technology in the 20th Century, healing gardens were not as important as they used to be. Now today's society is focusing a little more on the healing of the mind, body, and soul instead of just focusing on curing physical symptoms.

St. Mary Medical center was designed by Carter van Dyke and his longtime friend Sue Wert. Carter is a well known landscape architect that has also done projects such as the landscape for the West Virginia National Cemetery and the Delaware Canal Visitor Center. Those to first developed a small garden to commemorate their mothers that both were treated for cancer at the facility. By creating these two gardens the community reacted positively by wanting to create their own gardens. In turn the healing gardens were created.

Therapeutic scenes sometimes seen in Healing Gardens

Winding paths that sooth are seen in Healing Gardens

Small Ponds seen in Healing Gardens

Many different types of plants seen in Healing Gardens

Purpose of the Healing Gardens

Healing gardens are generally focused for the elderly, disabled, and those that have illnesses, but can be enjoyed by all. By having the garden for the person to be active in creating is very absorbing and can relieve themselves of the stress from being treated. The gardens also allow the residents to be in their own space with whomever or by themselves and can relax everyone that is enjoying themselves in the abundance of nature offered at the Medical Facility.

Benefits of a Healing Garden

Many research studies have been done and have proven that healing gardens reduce stress, lower blood pressure, decrease muscle tension, and increase positive feelings. The St. Mary Medical Center and any medical center for the matter wants the residents to get better and to have a peaceful time in their stay at the medical center. The healing gardens allow the residents to move into a state of bliss when they are outdoors because of the effects of nature. In doing this the healing gardens improve psychological health, social interaction between the residents, and the moods of the residents. Finally healing gardens research has shown researchers that humans are dependent on nature for emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellness.

Accommodating needs for people with impaired vision

In most cases, any type of garden can function as a healing garden. The only difference between a healing garden, and a normal garden is the fact that healing gardens are specifically designed to help people feel safe, less stressed, and more comfortable in their surroundings. Since healing gardens apply for all people, including people with disabilities, it is important that the design accommodates everybody's needs. For example, people who have impaired vision, would have some problems if there is glare from the sunlight, or not enough sunlight. Also the use of handrails and easy to walk on pathways is necessary for people who have vision loss. Plants in the design can accommodate the needs for them because the wind plays a part in moving the vegetation. So one way to help them experience this in the landscape is to put seating near trees and other plants. When using different sorts of vegetation in your design, the people will tend to relate those smells to memories from their past. One way to allow people to touch the vegetation is to have appropriate seating and movement near the vegetation.

Designing techniques used for Healing Gardens

One of the first things to consider when designing a healing garden is to make sure it accommodates the limitations of all the people who are using it. Also it is important that the garden is maintained well because a garden that is not properly maintained could give false therapeutic benifits to the people who are in it. Most of the time healing gardens are constructed through donations, so it is imparative that the garden is cost effective and still visually appealing. Finally the actual design of the spaces in the garden should accommodate different activities and different levels of privacy.