The gardens that improve the well-being among users.

1. HEALING GARDENS
HEALING GARDEN DESIGN
Cooper Marcus and Barnes in 1999 began using the term “healing garden” to
describe a green outdoor space on a healthcare campus that has the ability to facilitate the alleviation
of physical ailments, decrease stress levels, and give visitors a greater feeling of well-being. Cooper
Marcus and Barnes visited several healing gardens throughout the United States and used their
observations to provide design recommendations for healing gardens. According to Cooper Marcus
and Barnes, emotional instability that occurs when individuals are stressed or ill may impact the way
in which they perceive the appearance of the physical environment. Relating this concept to healing
gardens in hospitals, the importance of carefully designing a healing garden for a sensitive
population is clear.
Figure (a) Healing garden at Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint, ID.
Cooper Marcus and Barnes noted that an environment communicates symbolically
with the viewer via subconscious processing of sight, smell, and sound. The symbolism that
individuals take away from design features must be carefully considered when designing a healthcare
environment; for example, Cooper Marcus and Barnes referred to the experience of a hospital of
which functional design actually disturbed individuals in the interior. Individuals perceived the large,
leaning structural pillars at the base of the hospital as an “emotionally threatening reminder of a
bleak future”.
As discussed in the previous section on the Theory of Supportive Gardens, healing
gardens should be designed to improve wellbeing among users through carefully selected design
elements that promote:
(1) The restoration of a sense of control,
(2) Access to privacy

2. (3) Social support,
(4) An opportunity to move and exercise, and
(5) Access to natural distractions.
Ulrich‟s original Theory of Supportive Gardens included access to privacy as a
subset of a sense of control; however, the current study identifies access to privacy as a component
of its own due to the increasing importance of privacy in hospitals.
A sense of control refers to an individual‟s perception of how much they decide what they do and
what is done to them. It is important to restore a sense of control to individuals in a hospital
environment. In a healing garden, a sense of control may be promoted through ease of access to the
garden as well ease of navigation and finding one‟s way in the garden.
Access to privacy refers to an individual‟s ability to find spaces of solitude in the garden. It is
important to provide spaces within the garden where all groups of visitors (i.e. patients, visitors, and
staff) may go to have privacy.
Social support refers to the perceived emotional assistance individuals receive through
communication with other individuals in the garden. Social support may be facilitated by a healing
garden design that encourages and reassures conversations and social network among groups of
visitors.
Movement and exercise refers to the ability of garden visitors to engage in physical activity when
they are in the space. According to Ulrich, engaging in physical exercise in a healing garden should
help in alleviating stress among visitors to the garden.
Natural distractions refer to environmental features that help alleviate visitors‟ stress through their
restorative influence. In a healing garden, natural distractions such as greenery, flowers, water, and
sunlight are thought to provide restoration to users of the garden.
This study will validate the applicability of these recommended healing garden
design features from users‟ perspectives by examining whether the design features are categorized
into the five key design elements (i.e., a sense of control, access to privacy, social support, an
opportunity to move and exercise, and access to natural distractions) based on potential users‟
perceptions.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
All of the elements used in therapeutic garden design present the integration of the
five senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste), creating a safe, quiet and comfortable space. For
certain particular purposes such as horticultural therapy or religious/cultural characteristics, some
essential factors will be added in the design contents. There are some general criteria commonly
applied in gardens, as follows:
NATURE:
Nature dominates the satisfaction of the five senses. The diverse colours and
fragrance produced by plant species present the abundance of vision and olfaction. The foliage
blowing in the wind creates the sound of nature. Plucking and eating fresh fruits from trees and
shrubs please the senses of touch and taste.

3. Moreover, planting trees and flowers in healing gardens produces multiple usages
providing shade, retaining privacy and evoking childhood memories.
People have positive emotions when they see plants, especially canopy trees with
medium and dark green which provide shady areas. Using the shape of plant materials to block one„s
vision creates private spaces such as a fence or hedge.
Some plants which are native to a region may recall visitors‟ delighted or childhood
memories that will help them to relax and increase comfort. Additionally, in order to present various
colors all year round and create spatial perspective, the planting should be combined with different
flowering seasons, shapes and heights, including herbs, non-toxic species and edible plants which
adapt to local climate and soil.
FENCE / HEDGE:
A fence or a hedge that divides the outside of a garden and blocks one„s sight from
certain aspects produces a feeling of safety, privacy and protection to users as they are experiencing
a healing garden.
SUNLIGHT:
Exposure to sunlight has positive effects on human health,
improving relief of stress, blood pressure and pain reduction.
Sunlight, as a symbol of brightness, hopefulness and warmth, is the
source of life, playing an important role in every creature„s life.
Figure (b) the invitation of nature.
Figure (c) Sunlight

4. COLOURS:
It is quite possible to design both foliage and flower color in your garden to create certain
desired effects to match or to change your mood. Different colors reflect various senses of feeling.
For example, green is restful for sight. Pink gives a feeling of soft texture. Blue is associated with the
sky and sea, and evokes comfort and coolness. Red presents passion easily catches one„s attention.
WATER:
Water represents purity and rebirth, I symbolically refreshing and moisturizing the mind
and body. Functionally, a water feature is used to create sounds for noise reduction, to cool the
temperature and sometimes to irrigate plants. It also attracts animals such as birds, increasing the
diversity of species.
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY CONCEPT:
Patients get restorative benefits through
gardening activities that provide opportunities to go out, to
do exercise, and to start social interaction. They feel
rebirth when they watch plants grow gradually. They feel
love when they protect and take care of their plants. As a
result, horticultural therapy helps to re-build one„s
responsibility, self-confidence, and faith.
RELIGION AND CULTURAL VALUE:
Religion and culture have a strong power to stabilize people„s spirit and help to
block negative thoughts and emotions such as suicide. Providing some elements that they are
familiar in cultural meanings or have faith in certain religions may enhance the comfort of visitors‟
mind and shift intense emotions and thought. Adding symbolic features, such as a statue of God, may
be applied into the design contents.
POSSIBLE HALTH OUTCOMES
It has been proven that people who spend time in green spaces will gain positive
effects on health. People„s stress/ anxiety and pain, as well as blood pressure, can be decreased by
viewing natural scenery. Some of the listed benefits:
 Reduced stress/ anxiety for patients and family.
 Reduced pain Improved sleeps quality.
 Lower infection occurrence.
Improved patient satisfaction:
 Benefits for employees (reduced workplace stress, improved satisfaction, possibility of
reduced turnover, improved capability of workplace to attract and retain qualified
employees).
Additionally, there are several other advantages found in healing gardens:
SOCIAL SUPPORT:
Figure (d) Horticultural Garden

5. Users are encouraged to meet other people, sharing stories or experience and
receiving spiritual support or physical aid that can help to re-build their self-confidence and enhance
healing.
SENSE OF CONTROL:
“A sense of control is an important factor affecting a person„s ability to cope with
stressful events or situations, including stress associated with illness and hospitalization”. Assisting
patients to retrieve their capacities will improve the rate of recovery.
EXCERCISE:
Exercise can decrease stress, blood pressure and depression and strengthen body and
mind, especially the functions of heart, lung and nervous system.
POSITIVE DISTRACTIONS:
Positive distractions are environmental criteria that can attract people„s attention, thus
disturbing negative thoughts or emotions and improving the issues of blood pressure and stress, for
instance, music, art, flowers and animals.
REDUCTION OF MENTAL FATIGUE:
Experiencing a natural environment has the efficacy of decreasing mental fatigue.
People feel relax and recover from attention fatigue by engaging in natural surroundings and being
away from stressors.