The expression ‘healing garden’ is most often used to describe an outdoor, green space around a hospital. While the prefix, healing, suggests it is used specifically to improve health outcomes, these spaces are for patients, visitors and staff alike. Green environments are an essential part of human well-being, whether we are well, ill or injured, dealing with a loved one’s illness or if we are overtaxed with work. If you want to try to recreate this healing feel at home in your garden you may want to hire someone like a Gloucestershire Grounds Maintenance company who specialise in helping with all kinds of garden related manual labour. Gloucester Grounds Maintenance is one option to look at to take away the pressure of doing any of the work yourself and allowing you to enjoy the final results.
Still, providing a healing garden as part of a hospital plan can be an expensive prospect that struggles to fit into the budget. However, there are ways to mitigate the costs.
The benefits of a healing garden
Studies consistently show that healing gardens help reduce symptoms and stress and improve mental health. They also show that patients with access to healing gardens have better recovery rates than those who do not. However, hospitals are planned by the square foot and every inch counts. Convincing clients, authorities and cost estimators that a healing garden is cost effective, can be a hard sell.
Including gardens in designs
However, there are ways of hitting two birds with one stone. Hospitals with courtyard spaces, which are designed to provide more windows and hence daylight to rooms, are ideal candidates for healing gardens. Likewise, hospitals, which are required to have green roofs, can incorporate rooftops gardens into the design.
Essential elements
It goes without saying, greenery is the most important element of a healing garden, and variety is the next most important part. Trees, bushes and annuals combined, provide the most convincing representation of nature. However, sculpture provides an important component too. In sculpture, it is crucial that designers pick objects which are true to nature and avoid abstract art which can be negatively interpreted. Work from bronze sculptures can provide an ideal solution. Take a look at the work at for more ideas.
Cost savings
Sculptures are also relatively maintenance free. This means designers can reduce the running costs of the garden by providing high-quality art installations and sculptures. One of the hardest parts of justifying a hospital garden is the hidden cost of a gardener, rather than landscape works and the yearly planting bill. But, sculptures can be used as centrepieces in healing gardens, seriously reducing the need for expensive show plants.