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British Health Professional launches Gardening Therapy initiative

“Few things can lift the spirits as easily as gardening, except perhaps allowing your creativity to flow. This innovative activity box from horticultural specialist POP Gardens lets you do both by harnessing the therapeutic powers of gardening and art. The perfect gift.” – Gardens Illustrated Magazine   Since lockdown commenced and having to cancel all her therapeutic courses, Senior Occupational Therapist Lynne Evans has been helping thousands across the UK and Europe with her innovative horticultural therapy activity boxes. Known as POP BOX, which stands for People, Occupation, Plants, Lynne has fused over 20 years of experience working in acute NHS mental health units to bring this transformative wellbeing box to the public. Thousands of people have flocked to POP BOX, with all...

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Transforming Health & Wellbeing Through Gardening - by Lynne Evans

‘Gardening makes you feel better’, according to the Macmillan cancer support charity and this will delight many Occupational Therapists and other allied health professionals who use gardening as an effective treatment to ease anxiety, pain and distress for those living with cancer and undergoing treatment. Gardening is a great activity that can be undertaken alone or with a buddy and there are so many different areas to learn about and connect with, such that it has something for everyone. When I started running gardening groups in an acute psychiatric unit, I was initially fascinated by the history of gardens in hospitals and then I moved on to the history of women and gardening, which pushed me into attending a number...

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September 2020 Waterperry Gardens Course

Late Summer Workshop at Waterperry Gardens POP Gardens’ 12th September Therapeutic Horticulture Workshop for Health Professionals welcomed Caroline Cook, a former Speech and Language Therapist who has been delivering gardening therapy sessions in Yorkshire for 15 years; she joined Lynne to facilitate the workshop delivery. We explored end of summer cultural activities such as seed saving and sowing and health professionals learnt how to extend these activities for a variety of client groups. Seed saving is a low cost yet rewarding activity for adults and children. Perhaps the greatest benefit of seed saving is the sharing with others in your local community and it can be a way to preserve traditional seed varieties that otherwise might be lost! I would recommend watching...

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An excellent day for 'floral pick me ups' and linking nature to folklore - Jan 2020 Course

An excellent day for 'floral pick me ups' and linking nature to folklore It was great to meet so many enthusiastic health care staff at POP Garden's & Gardening With Caroline's Winter Workshop in January at Waterperry Gardens. We had fun during the day identifying winter plants and learning about our relationship with them through the arts and literature. Delegates enjoyed making masterpieces using January's birth flower along with Roses and foraged greenery! Well done everyone. Feedback from delegates included "Really enjoyable & informative" & "Great for inspirational references & new ideas. Thank you!"

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Ways To Wellness Through Horticulture

This POP Gardens course in Cornwall is designed for individuals wishing to use horticulture as a therapeutic medium, social cultural activity and/or leisure play activity. It is suitable for health professionals, teachers, social prescribers and anyone who wishes to understand why working with plants is good for us. Horticulture has been employed by occupational therapists for over a 100 years to improve their clients health and wellbeing. The discipline of growing plants has broad appeal at many skill levels from nursery age children to older adults. Come and join us for this interactive and hands on practical workshop to: Gain insights into the use of horticulture as a meaningful socio-cultural occupation; Be introduced to a range of resources & tools...

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