Therapeutic Horticulture

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Haller R. L., Kennedy K. L., Capra C. L. (2019). The Profession and Practice of Horticultural

Therapy. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press.

• This is the Horticultural Therapy textbook used by the NC Botanical Garden and NC State University in the Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate Program (2023). It covers theory, practice and program development, and is filled with practitioners’ first-hand experiences to illustrate the concepts. 

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions.

• This is a compilation of essays by a Native American woman who weaves together ancestral plant knowledge and science into a tapestry of important lessons for our modern world.

Lewis C. A. (1996). Green Nature, Human Nature. University of Illinois Press, Urbana and

Chicago.

• This book about the importance of plants in our lives reads like a work of literature while providing a firm foundation for the practice of the therapeutic use of horticulture. 

Simson S. P. and Straus M. C. (1998). Horticulture as Therapy, Principles and Practices. The Food Products Press, New York, London.

• This textbook provides a thorough overview of the breadth and depth of client groups and settings for practice, as well as design techniques and tools for various settings. Important skill development for the therapist is discussed. 

Bruce, Hank. (1999). Gardens for the Senses: Gardening as Therapy. Sorrento, FL: Petals

and Pages.

Bruce, Hank. (2000). Gardening Projects for Horticultural Therapy Programs Using CelluGro. Sorrento, FL: Petals and Pages Press.

Bruce, Hank and Tomi Jill Folk. Garden Projects for the Classroom and Special

Learning Programs. Rio Rancho, NM: Petals and Pages, 2003.

Cassidy, Patty. The Age-Proof Garden. London, England: Anness Publishing, 2012.

Cohen, M. (1993). Integrated ecology: The process of counseling with nature.

The Humanistic Psychologist, 21, 279-295.

Dennee, JoAnne, et. al. In the Three Sisters Garden, Native American Stories and

Seasonal Activities for the Curious Child. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing

Company, 1996

Fiarotta, Phyllis. Snips, Snails and Walnut Whales, Nature Crafts for Children. New

York: Workman Publishing Company, 1975

Fredrickson, L. & Anderson, D. (1999). A qualitative exploration of the wilderness experience as a source of spiritual inspiration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19(1), 21-39. Peer-reviewed qualitative exploration of wilderness experience and spiritual inspiration.

Gabaldo, Maria, et. al. eds. Health Through Horticulture. A Guide for Using the

Outdoor Garden for Therapeutic Outcomes. Glencoe, Il: Chicago Botanic Garden,

2003.

Hewson, Mitchell. Horticulture As Therapy, A Practical Guide to Using

Horticulture as a Therapeutic Tool. Guelph, Ontario: Homewood Health Centre,

1994.

Louv, Richard. (2005). Last Child in the Woods. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books

Mazumdar, S. & Mazumdar, S. (1993). Sacred spaces and place attachment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13(1993), 231-242. Peer-reviewed qualitative study exploration of interconnectedness between religion, identity, and attachment to sacred places.

Moore, Bibby. Growing with Gardening, A Twelve-Month Guide for Therapy,

Recreation, and Education. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press,

1989.

Oliven, P. (1998). Cultivating sacred space: Gardening for the soul. Library Journal, 123(3), 165.

Powell, L., Shahabi, L., & Thoresen, C. (2003). Religion and spirituality: linkages to physical health. American Psychologist, 58(1), 36-52. Peer-review article of links between spirituality, religion, and health.

Rothert, Eugene et. al. Health Through Horticulture: Indoor Gardening Activity

Plans. Chicago: Chicago Botanic Garden, 2009.

Williams, K. & Harvey, D. (2001). Transcendent experience in forest environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(2001), 249-260. Peer-reviewed qualitative study describes subjects' transcendent experiences in a forest.

Yu, Wan-Wei, Ling, Der-Lin, Chang, Yu-Sen. (June 2010). Comparison of the effects of plant parables on the promotion of spiritual benefits in students with differing horticultural backgrounds. HortTechnology. 20(3)568-573.