Growing Together: completed research

Literature review and bibliographical database on social and therapeutic horticulture

Funder

The Community Fund. Undertaken in collaboration with Thrive.

Background

This study was part of the Growing Together research into social and therapeutic horticulture (STH). Although horticulture in many different forms has been used as a therapy or as an adjunct to therapy, hard evidence as to its effectiveness is scant and of variable quality.

This was an up to date review of the literature on STH, funded by the Community Fund and undertaken in collaboration with the charity Thrive.

Aims

This project aimed to use the available literature to examine the use of social and therapeutic horticulture for a number of different client groups and analyse emergent messages and themes including the benefits of gardening and horticulture to these groups.

It also aimed to identify the lessons to be learnt from the available literature in the UK and internationally on the effectiveness of therapeutic gardening.

Methods

Over 300 articles were examined in detail from approximately 1000 available titles. These were identified by searching library databases, references from known published work and by consulting with researchers in the field. Broad themes in the literature related to rehabilitation, horticultural therapy and psychology, including landscape and environmental psychology.

 Key findings and conclusions

• There is little hard evidence and documentation of the effectiveness of therapeutic horticulture.
  
• The available literature suggests that there are a number of reported benefits of STH for a wide range of clients.
  
• Reported benefits include increased general well-being, increased social interaction and practical skill development.
  
• There is a need for more research in this area which examines outcomes of STH for a wide range of individuals.

Implications for policy and practice

This study shows that there is a need for in depth research into social and therapeutic horticulture to provide evidence of its benefit as a form of health and social care.

Publications

Please click here for a list of publications from this study

To purchase a copy of the full literature review report, click here to download an order form

CCFR Evidence Paper 6: Social and therapeutic horticulture – evidence and messages from research - Download here

Research team

Dr Joe Sempik (CCFR). Dr Jo Aldridge (Loughborough University); Professor Saul Becker. With Tim Spurgeon (Thrive).