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Horticultural therapy "is one of the simplest ways to make a cooperative deal with nature for a prompt reward," said American psychiatrist Karl Menninger.
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First issued by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1894 as an annual report, Yearbook of Agriculture reviewed topical developments in the field. The 1972 edition, Landscape for Living, was “produced to tell Americans about improving our environment with plants and to give background information and how-to-do-it advice to home gardeners.” Among its contents is a feature on horticultural therapy.
Horticultural therapy is the practice of using plants and plant-based activities for relaxation, exercise, or rehabilitation. Whether one prunes or meanders through a garden, immersion in foliage can bolster good feelings and alleviate stress. Aromatic plants and sounds of wildlife inspire slow and thoughtful connections to the world around us, and the cultivation of plants presents additional opportunities for observation and understanding of the environment.
Read about the benefits of horticultural therapy and home gardening in Landscape for Living, and explore other editions of The Yearbook in NAL’s digital collections.
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