Being at home every day can either be pretty fun or pretty boring, that all depends on what your usual favorite is. Now that we’re all inside due to the quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s time to get creative.

Self-quarantine can be particularly taxing for people with conditions like anxiety or depression, as this state of total chaos and panic (as well as the very limited social interaction of this period) can really wreak havoc on well-being… But, we didn’t need to tell you that. 

Caring for a garden (inside or out) can help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. By planting something, we express trust in the future, in the positive outcome of this current crisis. And, it’s not just outside horticultural therapy that has its benefits, you can garden indoors as well. So, why else would you use garden therapy at a time like this?

"To plant a garden is to believe in the future."

– Audrey Hepburn

The Benefits of Horticultural Therapy  

Studies have shown that horticultural therapy has a wide range of benefits for people from all walks of life. It’s one of those rare gems that can help with both physical and mental health at the same time. It can soothe the mind, calm anxiety, quell depression, increase range of motion, help to build a community (even online), provide something to do with your hands and generally raise a person’s happiness level.

Gardening Allows You to be Creative

It’s vital to stimulate and encourage our creative thinking, mainly because day-to-day living generally does not require a whole lot of creativity. Keeping a therapeutic garden allows you to lose yourself in what you’re doing because it provides time and space to really explore creative paths that you wouldn’t necessarily usually go down.

You also get to arrange colors, select the types of flowers and plants, and tidy up the garden. You don’t have to have an outdoor garden to do this, you just need some cups/plant pots, plants, and dirt.

Gardening Slows Media Overload

It can be difficult not to obsess over the current state of things, but that’s not very helpful for your well-being. The fact that gardening is a hands-on activity means you to take a break from the media, focus, and worry less.

Gardening is Calming

There are many great smelling flowers, herbs and even regular plants that have shown to have a calming effect.

By engaging in a garden by yourself, you’re building a space where you can just be and enjoy the quiet. Once you’ve decided to start, relax, and get creative as well. Or just sit amongst the plants and do nothing–that’s totally fine as well. If you’re working on your garden indoors, make sure it’s in a location with lots of natural light. Looking for design ideas? Try websites like Pinterest or Home & Garden.

There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.

— Janet Kilburn Phillips

About Stephen’s Place

Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).

If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information. 

Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.