What's Your Therapy?

by Danny Summers

Four weeks ago... you were REALY BUSY! It was the first full week of May, and just 3 days away from Mother's Day. That's why I believe most of you have not seen what I am about to share.

It was on Thursday, May 8th and our May GROUPtalk LIVE session. Nicholas Staddon shared an important message titled "What's Your Therapy."

While we recorded the session, I also asked Nicholas to also put his presentation into a message we could share in my blog. Here's Nicholas' message:

Last year at The Garden Center Group Fall Event 2024 in Dallas, a number of the speakers mentioned Horticultural Therapy during their presentations. This medium of healing has been around for a great many years in the United States, in fact dating back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, not that it was mentioned in the esteemed document.

It has often been said that the Victorian age was the Golden Age of Gardening. Gardens were very much a status symbol, gardens tended to be large covering acres of land including inspiring water features and more. Rivers were rerouted and villages moved to accommodate these splendid works of art. Gardens were created at the whim of the wealthy, for kings and queens, archbishops and cardinals. The garden was a sign of wealth, power and a symbol of social standing.

Today, we find ourselves in a completely different set of circumstances. This year celebrates my living in the United States for 40 years. Over those years I have had the opportunity to travel the length and breadth of this terrific country. Now, more that at any other time, I see the unparalleled interest in plants and gardens. Not so many years ago, business owners and nursery professionals were wondering how to get that next generation of the population interested in plants and the garden. The next generation have come along under their own steam. They harbor a passion for their world and the geographical location in which they live. They also, (well we all do), need that connection to nature and the garden is one way to get there. So, exciting times ahead for all of us. 

My introduction to Horticultural Therapy was quite by chance, another story for another time. However, believe it true to say I was recruited by Theresa Hazen, a woman compelled by a passion for healing using plants as the primary medium. Theresa ran the Horticultural Therapy program at the Legacy Health hospitals in Portland and Vancouver. I consider myself to be fortunate to have her as my primary source of inspiration.

So, to you, the business owner, manager, buyer or employee. Now is the time to embrace Horticultural Therapy as part of who you are in your business, marketing, and general outreach programs. You have been selling and promoting Horticultural Therapy for a great many years, without realizing it. Most of your customers come in to buy something, but I have no doubt that a smaller percentage come into to enjoy the plants, the flowers, the sights, the fragrance. You have become a destination for visitors to become grounded; you have become their therapy. So how do we take the idea towards making it a reality as well as integrating the term Horticultural Therapy into your day-to-day vocabulary.

Perhaps you have a local Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Reach out to https://www.ahta.org/ and ask them if there is a Chapter nearby you. Research the local hospitals, Senior Centers to find out if they have a Horticultural Therapy program in place. If you believe this adventure to be worthwhile, appoint a member of your staff to take charge and lead his new and exciting program in your place of business.

Within the garden center, create a new display … You can call it “Your Therapy at Heart” the display would include plants that exhibit fragrance year-round or seasonal interests, are easy on the senses that are multiple use as well as plants that perform in the landscape as well as in containers. There is help at every turn, in order to achieve the end result to create a place that provides a connection to nature. Important to remember that the garden is the gateway to nature and your displays are an accompanying narrative. What you create and suggest will be instrumental in promoting health and in shaping individual choices that promote well-being. With those few thoughts in mind, I am going to suggest a couple of excellent reads to help you on your way. The first is Design for Healing Spaces, THERAPEUTIC GARDENS, by Danial Winterbottom & Amy Wagenfeld. Extremely visual and full of great Therapy Garden ideas. (click on image to see more)

The second is a must have as a base to any Horticultural Therapy program. Open Spaces Sacred Places.Authored by Tom Stoner & Carolyn Rapp. I am not embarrassed to say that it is one ofthemost emotional books I have ever laid eyes upon.Every page tells a different and inspiring story.The book is a collection of inspirational stories told through the voices of the Finesouls of twelve Projects.These projects have collected entries placed in the Garden Journals, placed in the garden to reinforce the essential human need to take time out in nature.  (click on image to see more)

If time permits, please click on the image here of my actual presentation. You will be taken to the blog version of this message and see the video recording which has more details than what there is space for here.

This GROUPtalk LIVE presentation will give you a 20,000 ft view as to what is going on in this terrific field of wellness and healing, and, I am hoping, inspirational, encouraging you to take a deeper look at what is a good business opportunity and an outstanding place for your nursery and the people that work there to be.

Nicholas Staddon
Ph: 626-893-2289
[email protected]

Horticultural Therapy maybe our industry term, but whatever you want to call it, the need and interest level is growing. This is our contribution to the health and wellness movement. We can expect more ideas, discussions, and even presentations in the coming months... and even at The Fall Event 2025! Stay tuned. 

A special THANK YOU to Nicholas Staddon for his message here and his support of The Garden Center Group. If you would like to reach out to Nicholas about this or other subjects, follow the link to the blog version.

In the meantime, be sure to soak up all the Plant and Garden wellness vibes you can this week!

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, Sid Raisch, John Kennedy, Jean Seawright, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!