Healing Magic: Horticulture Therapy in a Hospital Setting

Healing Magic: Horticulture Therapy in a Hospital Setting

Julie Billo, Horticultural Therapist, Therapeutic Arts Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital 

Over the last 10 years at the hospital, I have worked with many different populations within the hospital. One of the main populations I work with is the Day Patient Mental Health and Inpatient Mental Health. We get together once a week year-round to do a variety of Horticultural therapy (HT) projects. HT in this setting is a passive therapy,...
Read More

Filter Posts

All Filters

Over the last 10 years at the hospital, I have worked with many different populations within the hospital. One of the main populations I work...

Continue Reading

Over the last 10 years at the hospital, I have worked with many different populations within the hospital. One of the main populations I work with is the Day Patient Mental Health and Inpatient Mental Health. We get together once...

Continue Reading

Being a sustainable Landscape Designer, lawn alternatives are something I think about a lot. I also think it's important to experiment with new plants in...

Continue Reading

Being a sustainable Landscape Designer, lawn alternatives are something I think about a lot. I also think it's important to experiment with new plants in my own garden before I ever specify them for someone else’s yard as it gives...

Continue Reading

I was born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora, MΓ©xico, a city in the middle of a desert. As many people in my area, I grew...

Continue Reading

I was born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora, MΓ©xico, a city in the middle of a desert. As many people in my area, I grew up buying groceries with my mother and never really learned what it takes to grow...

Continue Reading

As an organization that teaches people how to grow vegetables in Toronto, we love seeing our students grow an abundance of food in their backyards...

Continue Reading

As an organization that teaches people how to grow vegetables in Toronto, we love seeing our students grow an abundance of food in their backyards and on their balconies. What we didn’t expect was the power of collaborative learning in...

Continue Reading

From a window-box of herbs to a homestead, growing your own food is an education, a series of trial and error, and a meditation on...

Continue Reading

From a window-box of herbs to a homestead, growing your own food is an education, a series of trial and error, and a meditation on connecting with nature in a meaningful and personal way. It’s about observation, patience, and resourcefulness...

Continue Reading

Our market garden is planted beside the Trans Canada Highway next to a bustling intersection. As we go about our work transplanting cabbages, harvesting carrots...

Continue Reading

Our market garden is planted beside the Trans Canada Highway next to a bustling intersection. As we go about our work transplanting cabbages, harvesting carrots and hilling potatoes we’re surrounded by the constant drone of cars, the honking of horns...

Continue Reading

Who would’ve imagined that photographing boulevard gardens would lead to so many interesting surprises and fulfilling community-building experiences?Β  But what is a boulevard garden? The...

Continue Reading

Who would’ve imagined that photographing boulevard gardens would lead to so many interesting surprises and fulfilling community-building experiences?Β  But what is a boulevard garden? The boulevard is the strip of land between a road and a sidewalk. The standard boulevard...

Continue Reading

Non-profit’s research could bring fresh produce to underserved Canadians. Jennica Taylor didn’t want to go outside. She knew her breath would fog as temperatures approached...

Continue Reading

Non-profit’s research could bring fresh produce to underserved Canadians. Jennica Taylor didn’t want to go outside. She knew her breath would fog as temperatures approached minus-40Β°C. She knew the sun would dissolve into the darkness before supper. And with Christmas...

Continue Reading

Gardening is enjoyable at all ages and is especially enjoyable with children! Playing and learning outdoors can engage children of all ages in physical activity,...

Continue Reading

Gardening is enjoyable at all ages and is especially enjoyable with children! Playing and learning outdoors can engage children of all ages in physical activity, care for living things, and a sense of how the natural world works.Β Β  Start small...

Continue Reading

Nothing brings me joy like being surrounded by plants. In the summer, I love to bring people into the green cocoon that is my patio...

Continue Reading

Nothing brings me joy like being surrounded by plants. In the summer, I love to bring people into the green cocoon that is my patio garden under the wisteria arbour and host small (given my Vancouver patio is only eight...

Continue Reading

The mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia is to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. Its vision is to build an enlightened community...

Continue Reading

The mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia is to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. Its vision is to build an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning. Our To-Go & Grow Free Seed Library was inspired by my...

Continue Reading

There are various methods to harvest marine phytoplankton. At MARPHYL Marine Phytoplankton, we implement a natural, wild, and sustainable approach.Β  First, ocean water is pumped...

Continue Reading

There are various methods to harvest marine phytoplankton. At MARPHYL Marine Phytoplankton, we implement a natural, wild, and sustainable approach.Β  First, ocean water is pumped from the deeps of the Georgia Strait into tanks located on shore next to the...

Continue Reading

Attracting predatorial insects to our garden using flowers is an effective pest management strategy. Flying insects such as wasps, hover flies and lady beetles find...

Continue Reading

Attracting predatorial insects to our garden using flowers is an effective pest management strategy. Flying insects such as wasps, hover flies and lady beetles find nectar and pollen for themselves while hunting for protein-rich foods in the form of caterpillars,...

Continue Reading

My name isΒ Ashley EsakinΒ and I am a soil scientist. I am located in a Canadian Zone 3 and a USDA Zone 4. I write articles...

Continue Reading

My name isΒ Ashley EsakinΒ and I am a soil scientist. I am located in a Canadian Zone 3 and a USDA Zone 4. I write articles on Gardening in Canada, makeΒ YouTubeΒ videos, InstagramΒ andΒ FacebookΒ posts all designed for Canadians and Cold Climate gardeners using...

Continue Reading

Over the past few years, edible gardening has seen a surge in popularity. Spurred by the garden to table movement, the slow living movement and...

Continue Reading

Over the past few years, edible gardening has seen a surge in popularity. Spurred by the garden to table movement, the slow living movement and surely aided by our new found appreciation for all things local, vegetable gardens are thriving...

Continue Reading

For the past six years we have prioritized equitable access to outdoor play and learning by dedicating a full time teaching position to garden learning....

Continue Reading

For the past six years we have prioritized equitable access to outdoor play and learning by dedicating a full time teaching position to garden learning. This last year our fundraising efforts culminated in a brand new school garden built to...

Continue Reading

Highfield Farm is a collaborative urban agriculture project between the City of Calgary and the Compost Council of Canada. The goal is to transform a...

Continue Reading

Highfield Farm is a collaborative urban agriculture project between the City of Calgary and the Compost Council of Canada. The goal is to transform a 15-acre brownfield site into a productive urban community farm hub. Our vision is based in...

Continue Reading

The Synergy Foundation’s Food Eco District (FED) is continuing to make strides towards improving food security in the Greater Victoria Region. In support of this...

Continue Reading

The Synergy Foundation’s Food Eco District (FED) is continuing to make strides towards improving food security in the Greater Victoria Region. In support of this ambition, FED created the My FED Farm program in 2020 as a means of addressing...

Continue Reading

For many years the Green & Gold Community Garden has been a fortunate recipient of donated seeds from West Coast Seeds. Situated on just over...

Continue Reading

For many years the Green & Gold Community Garden has been a fortunate recipient of donated seeds from West Coast Seeds. Situated on just over two acres of the University of Alberta’s south campus farmland, in Edmonton, the Garden serves...

Continue Reading