Healing gardens as a way of aiding therapy

Michał Dmitruk

Abstract

Being close to nature always had a positive impact on human health and well-being. From the Neolithic Revolution, which began 10,000 years before our era and the start of the transition from hunting and gathering to sedentary life, people began to ascribe mystical powers to sacred gardens, groves or rock formations. In the Middle Ages, gardens were often placed near monasteries. Herbal ones for purely pragmatic, therapeutic function and recreational gardens, as places for contemplation and reverie. With the development of civilization, the presence of gardens amongst the human settlements has become a permanent part of the landscape. Their beneficial effect on the psyche and human health, as well as purely aesthetic qualities has been appreciated. With the development of modern medical techniques, the role of healing gardens has been marginalized, or entirely omitted. In Poland, medical gardens, along with hospitals and clinics are not considered an essential element of their architecture. There is a need for public education, also among architects, to force a trend, focusing on designing healing gardens along with hospital buildings. Health benefits for the patients are disproportionate to the economic costs. Yet health is the most valuable.