Articles
A history of therapeutic gardens in Romania
Article number
1438_10
Pages
83 – 100
Language
English
Abstract
Horticultural therapy has been used since ancient times for relaxation and healing, with doctors and psychologists recommending that patients participate in gardening classes, walks in nature or parks, and engage in various activities in the garden.
Horticultural therapy was conceived by combining concepts from various fields, including occupational therapy, landscape architecture, gerontology, and rehabilitation, with a basic principle being that participation in the life cycle of a plant has therapeutic power.
Horticultural therapy uses plants and gardening activities to improve the social, educational, and psychological aspects of people who want or need to improve their lives.
In Romania, the interest in medicinal flora and herbal therapy has been manifested since Dacian times.
Starting with the 15th century, the first medicinal herb gardens appeared around monasteries and in some boyar courts.
Over time, the fantasy and skill of landscapers in using medicinal-ornamental plants have enriched the green spaces around hospitals, sanatoriums, and rest homes.
In Romania, the concept of horticultural therapy began to take shape in 2014, when the first therapeutic garden was established at Mocrea Psychiatric Hospital in Arad.
In urban public spaces, sensory gardens have appeared sporadically through private projects, playing a role in stimulating the senses, promoting relaxation, relieving daily stress, and evoking pleasant emotions.
The healing power of nature can benefit anyone, even those without access to a specific area of land or nearby green space.
Horticultural therapy was conceived by combining concepts from various fields, including occupational therapy, landscape architecture, gerontology, and rehabilitation, with a basic principle being that participation in the life cycle of a plant has therapeutic power.
Horticultural therapy uses plants and gardening activities to improve the social, educational, and psychological aspects of people who want or need to improve their lives.
In Romania, the interest in medicinal flora and herbal therapy has been manifested since Dacian times.
Starting with the 15th century, the first medicinal herb gardens appeared around monasteries and in some boyar courts.
Over time, the fantasy and skill of landscapers in using medicinal-ornamental plants have enriched the green spaces around hospitals, sanatoriums, and rest homes.
In Romania, the concept of horticultural therapy began to take shape in 2014, when the first therapeutic garden was established at Mocrea Psychiatric Hospital in Arad.
In urban public spaces, sensory gardens have appeared sporadically through private projects, playing a role in stimulating the senses, promoting relaxation, relieving daily stress, and evoking pleasant emotions.
The healing power of nature can benefit anyone, even those without access to a specific area of land or nearby green space.
Authors
E.D. Lorentz, S. Petra, E. Dobrescu, C. Fabian
Keywords
herbal therapy, medicinal-ornamental plants, sensory garden
Groups involved
- Division Ornamental Plants
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Postharvest and Quality Assurance
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
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