Use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Therapeutic Gardens

Abstract:

Introduction: Today there is an accumulation of literature providing evidence for long and short term beneficial effects of living close to nature on various different health conditions ranging from psychological to physical disorders including depression, heart problems and diabetes. The results of these researches have given rise to the promotion of therapeutic gardens in outdoor spaces of healthcare establishments such as children’s hospitals, assisted-living houses, rehabilitation centers, and hospices. Objective: Therapeutic gardens are outdoor garden spaces that meet the needs of the users mainly for their psychological well-being and healing. Our focus in this study is the use and maintenance of medicinal and aromatic plants in therapeutic gardens. Our objectives are to review the literature on this topic, categorize the role of medicinal and aromatic plants as a design element, and provide medicinal and aromatic plants design guidelines for therapeutic gardens. Methods: Entire literature on the topic are reviewed. A sense-system used to categorize medicinal and aromatic plants for therapeutic gardens with respect to the purpose of garden use. Results and Discussion: Design guidelines are created to aid the planning of medicinal and aromatic plants in therapeutic gardens. Conclusion: Consequently, it is given that aromatic plants are a good attempt to improve the healing environment of therapeutic gardens from an aesthetic as well as medicinal standpoint and our design guidelines provide the landscape designer with essential ingredients to efficiently incorporate medicinal and aromatic plants in designing therapeutic gardens.

Key words: Healing garden, Health facilities, Stress, Assisted-living house, Planting design.