Horticultural Therapy Outcomes

"Horticultural therapy" just means using real, hands-on gardening activities, like potting a plant, holding flowers, or working with soil, as a way to support wellbeing, rather than just as a hobby or a way to fill time.

Researchers have looked at how this kind of activity affects people living with dementia specifically. One large review pulled together 14 separate studies covering 411 people with dementia and looked at what actually changed when people took part in hands-on gardening activities, compared to their usual care. The results showed real improvements: people were calmer (less agitated), spent close to 45% more time actively engaged in the activity, and were less likely to sit around inactive, compared to people who didn't take part (Lu et al., 2020).

Results are strongest and most consistent for engagement and mood. Evidence for agitation specifically is more mixed, though several studies have found a meaningful reduction.

Here's the practical takeaway: hands-on gardening activities are one of the more evidence-backed ways to keep someone with dementia genuinely engaged and in a better mood, even if no single activity works the same way for every person every time. That's part of why our sessions are built around real, tactile gardening tasks rather than passive activities like simply watching or listening.

Studies referenced

• Lu, L. C., Lan, S. H., Hsieh, Y. P., Yen, Y. Y., Chen, J. C., & Lan, S. J. (2020). Horticultural Therapy in Patients With Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias, 35.