Wish me luck!

Absolutely - I was watching PBS yesterday while I was wintersowing 8 varieties of dianthus (well, I had all those different kinds of seeds . . . .and they were crying to me to get them started . . . .)

Anyway, there was this show on brain plastisity (did I ever mention my first academic love was biological psychology) anyway, while I am watching, I am picking up very small seeds with my left hand to sow in the little container. (I am right-handed). On the tv they are discussing how severely brain injured people were taught to use limbs that had minimal function (like they could twitch but not much more) by restraining, say the good arm, and forcing the individual to use the weak limb.

Anyway, there is a series of exercises, from small movements, to gross motor movements, to fine motor movements, and (according to this film) there has been quite remarkable success in the brain re-assigning tasks from damaged areas to new areas.

I was thinking at the time how gardening must be a useful therapy, and is probably used all over the place - but how contact with DG might be a useful part of such therapy, since motivation seems to be the key.

I was also thinking what a fun research project it would be. . . . Dave47, feel like doing some research?

Good luck Michaela!
Just stick with your strong religious ties to radical Islam and you should be fine.

Michaela, hort therapy has been around for some time and continues to grow.

Michaela, You are referring to specific neurological, retraining benefits? Great idea. I think they would combine with the traditional benefits of working with plants (or animals) in raising endorphines.

Dave - hort therapy involves ot aspects as well, not just psych.

I think DG is soooo great, that those researchers using "hort" therapy might want to include membership in some sort of experimental design. just a thought :-)

Was "hort therapy" named after Horton, who heard a Who? Did he recover successfully?

Never heard.

probably . . . don't know about the therapy success :-)

OK, I'm trying to catch up on my threads and it looks like we've veered off the subject unless Michaela needs hort therapy to get permanent residency. LOL When I play "catch-up" I only read the last few posts so that's why I'm clue-less all the time!! Eleanor
p.s. - Don't pay any attention to me, I'm just posting away tonight cause Colin isn't here and to let you know my computer still works!! LOL

Eleanor - you are so right.......to get back on track: Good luck, Michaela......for whatever!! LOL

Many garden clubs take garden therapy to nursing homes. even planting herbs in small containers gets mind off troubles & gives people something to do.

That is such a good idea Iris. I play the piano for a group that sings at area nursing homes and I remember one that had a courtyard filled with plants. The residents were the ones that planted and took care of them. I agree that they need to feel useful and keep busy in any way possible. Eleanor

Wonderful idea, Iris!!

Iris, I bet it also gives them a reason to get up the next morning....something to look forward to. I know it works for me!!

Girls scouts have done that sort of project, one troop planted chia type pets--the oldsters enjoyed the kids and the youngsters traded 'grandma stories'.

My Dad used to be quite the gardener when he lived in Santa Fe, NM, and in Boston when I was growing up. He had a major stroke in Nov 2006. Now he's in a nursing home back east and we cannot get him interested in growing anything anymore!

He always used to have a pot of paperwhites blooming all winter when I was a kid. So we tried at first to keep him supplied with about to bloom paperwhites and finally he said to stop - he said if he hadn't planted them, it didn't matter. Then I gave him bulbs, gravel and a dish. But he seems to have totally lost interest in everything! Even plants. (I'm over being upset - now he's just a pain-in-the-neck because I feel guilty all the time.)

x, Carrie

Major things change their personalities don't they?

My Dad was the same, we always had a drink of Drambouie(sp) together. Then, when he was in the long term care after he got sick, I bribed the nurses to let him have a bottle, but he wouldn't drink with me anymore.

Not that his personality was all that wonderful in the first place, but since the stroke, he's been pretty wretched!

xx, Carrie