Recovery often blooms through healing gardens

The boy appeared to be around 7 years old, maybe he was 8 years old but certainly not any older than that and he was with a woman who was most likely his grandmother.

They both were both very somber and spoke little to one another.

I was taking photos in the Healing Garden when they walked by me. The little boy smiled politely.

“My mom is in there,” he said pointing at the hospital. “She’s going to be all right.”

He sounded cautiously optimistic. The woman was obviously worried when she said, “Yes, she’s going to be just fine.”

It was a comment that was made to herself as much as to the boy and me.

I suggested that they go into the children’s garden so the boy could climb on the sculptures and let out a little energy. When I passed by them moments later he was laughing exuberantly and she was smiling at his antics and obviously beginning to relax.

This was not a phenomenon. Many studies conducted over the last 30 years prove the restorative powers of nature.

These reports are so conclusive that many hospitals are putting in healing gardens and we’re so lucky that a few dedicated volunteers nurture the gardens next to Bonner General Hospital.

A groundbreaking study published in the April 27, 1984 issue of Science magazine by Roger S. Ulrich, a pioneer in the field of therapeutic environments at Texas A & M University, found strong evidence that nature helps heal.

Ulrich’s research showed that “viewing natural scenes or elements fosters stress recovery by evoking positive feelings, reducing negative emotions, effectively holding attention/interest, and blocking or reducing stressful thoughts.”

An article published on WebMD states, “One reason nature may be so successful at reducing stress is that it puts the mind in a state similar to meditation, according to Clare Cooper Marcus, MA, MCP, professor emerita from the University of California at Berkeley, and one of the founders of the field of environmental psychology.

“‘When you are looking intensely at something, or you bend down to smell something, you bypass the (analytical) function of the mind.’ You naturally stop thinking, obsessing, worrying. Your senses are awakened, which brings you into the present moment, and this has been shown to be very effective at reducing stress, says Marcus, drawing on her own observations.”

Ulrich’s report says that there is considerable evidence that the restorative effects of nature are manifested in just a few minutes. “Regarding physiological manifestations of stress recovery, laboratory and clinical investigations have found that viewing nature settings can produce significant restoration within less than five minutes as indicated by positive changes, for instance, in blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity.

“Evidence strongly suggests that gardens help to heighten patient and family satisfaction with the healthcare provider and the overall quality of care. Research suggests that hospital gardens also increase staff satisfaction with the workplace, and can be advantageous in hiring and retaining qualified personnel.”

So, you may ask, why are we talking about the Healing Garden now when it’s not at its best? Because the best is that the Christmas Home Tour is this Sunday, Dec. 8, from noon to 4 p.m.

All of the proceeds from this event provide funding for the gardens. Your ticket which you can purchase at the hospital’s information desk, Sharon’s Hallmark and Eve’s Leaves, a mere $20 to see all six homes, will buy the seeds and plants and fertilizer and potting soil needed in the spring. That’s why.

Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.