MY WORK as a horticultural therapist bifurcates into two distinct tasks at every facility or residential site that employs me. On the one hand, I develop and implement programming tailored to a specific population’s or individual’s needs. On the other hand, I design and install—sometimes with the help of clients, sometimes not—therapeutic gardens to be enjoyed by my clients, their families and the staff.
When I design such spaces, I lean into the guidelines for therapeutic gardens developed by the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), the national professional
