The Power of Therapeutic Horticulture
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness
4.8 • 883 Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2023
⏱️ 92 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Have you ever thought about the healing power of plants beyond just their aesthetic appeal? As plant parents, we know how much fun it is to take care of our plants, but did you know that therapeutic horticulture is a practice being used in hospitals, retirement homes, and even correctional facilities? Today, we're exploring the concept of therapeutic horticulture with the guidance of expert teacher Hilda Krus, who has been a horticultural therapist for over two decades, working with inmates at Rikers Island, New York's largest jail. Let’s dive in!
In this episode, we learn:
- [08:16] How Hilda Krus became a therapeutic horticulture expert
- [17:06] What is AHDA?
- [21:07] Is horticultural therapy the same as therapeutic horticulture?
- [24:34] Need a plant-based meal delivery system that eases bloat and boosts energy?
- [27:41] How creating a comfortable and easy space in a garden requires intentional work
- [31:53] What lessons did Hilda learn after working at Rikers Island for 20 years?
- [42:15] How can horticultural therapy programs get government funding?
- [49:09] Hilda describes her routine and a student's typical day at Rikers
- [51:21] What is the layout of the garden at Rikers Island?
- [53:46] How is the food they grow on-site at Rikers Island being used?
- [56:26] Did any of Hilda's students choose to work in horticulture after finishing her class?
- [59:14] Are you looking to create a spa-like ambiance in your home with beautiful chimes?
- [01:01:37] Inspiring stories in Rikers' therapeutic horticultural program
- [01:03:56] What is the Horticultural Society of New York?
- [01:11:03] What classes does Hilda teach at NYBG?
- [01:12:13] Hilda’s recommended horticultural books!
Check out the Therapeutic Horticulture Summer Intensive at the NYBG!
Mentioned in our conversation:
- Soil Science I
- Introduction to Plant Science
- The Science of Tree Communication
- Introduction to Horticultural Therapy
- Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate Program
- Growing Joy Episode 37: Horticultural Therapy
- American Horticultural Therapy Association
- Horticultural Society of New York
- Book by Sue Stuart-Smith The Well-Gardened Mind
- Book by Rebecca L. Haller, Christine L. Capra Horticultural Therapy Methods
For more insights on therapeutic horticulture,
check out the full show notes and blog here!
Thank you to our episode sponsors:
Sakara
Make eating healthier easier with science-backed, plant-rich nutrition programs and wellness essentials right to your door! Sakara provides ready-to-eat meals that are nutritionally designed to deliver results — from weight management and eased bloat, to boosted energy and clearer skin. Enjoy delicious meals that have a perfect balance of plants,protein and fats, while also taking control of your physical health.
Get 20% off your first order when you use code "GROWINGJOY" at sakara.com.
Wind River Chimes
Bring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition for your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!
Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.
Follow the Horticultural Society:
Hilda’s LinkedIn
Follow Maria and Growing Joy:
Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung
Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!
Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!
Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria
Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria
Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria
Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com
Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria
Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/PLANTS
* Check out Manukora: manukora.com/BLOOM
* Check out Outdoor Electronics: www.google.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | As plant parents, we intuitively understand that gardening is therapy, plant care is self-care, and the multitude of other plants and wellness-inspired sayings, right? |
| 0:10.0 | That we've all come to embody. I mean, I wrote a whole book on this topic but did you |
| 0:14.7 | know that there is a practice being used in hospitals retirement homes correctional |
| 0:19.0 | facilities using plants as a means of healing, empowerment, and even as a vocation. |
| 0:24.8 | Horticultural therapy, also known as therapeutic horticulture, has received a lot of attention in the last year, |
| 0:30.0 | as registered horticultural therapists have been changing the concept of what healing can look like. |
| 0:35.7 | I recently took a class on therapeutic horticulture for mental health with the New York Botanical |
| 0:39.9 | Garden and I fell in love with my wise, sensitive, and very interesting teacher Hilda Cruz, |
| 0:47.0 | a horticultural therapist who has been involved with the horticultural therapy program at |
| 0:51.1 | Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail for the last two decades. |
| 0:55.0 | Today we explore the healing modality, the power of therapeutic |
| 1:00.0 | culture. |
| 1:01.0 | Welcome to the Growing Joy Podcast, where we not only learn how to care for |
| 1:05.3 | plants successfully, but how to simply and affordably use our plant babies to |
| 1:09.5 | cultivate more joy in our lives. I'm Maria, author of Growing Joy, the Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating |
| 1:15.3 | happiness, speaker, podcaster, and most importantly, an epic plant killer turned happy plant lady. |
| 1:21.8 | On Growing Joy, you'll find conversations about plant lady. On growing joy you'll find conversations about |
| 1:24.2 | plant care, plant community, and wellness through the lens of plants. |
| 1:29.2 | Plant care is self-care on growing joy the podcast. |
| 1:33.6 | Plant Friends, welcome back, happy spring. |
| 1:37.0 | I've placed my transplant's orders with Territorial Seed Company |
| 1:41.0 | for my balcony garden. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.