Therapeutic Garden Open House Success

About 80 people stopped by the HGMH Therapeutic Garden last week for an open house event.

The Therapeutic Garden got its roots in 2011 with a grant from the Ontario Healthy Communities Fund through the HGMH Foundation. Over the years, the garden has more than quadrupled its original size and is used regularly by rehabilitation patients as part of their therapy. The garden now boasts 2,800 square feet and produces a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. With a combination of raised and in-ground beds, rehabilitation patients receive practical exercises to help them regain and maintain their balance, fine motor control, memory and concentration, and engage in social activities.

The greenhouse and row covers will be used this year to extend the garden's productivity into late November. Produce from the garden is used in the hospital's kitchens as they make meals, and some is used in cooking sessions with patients. In this way, the garden supports the hospital's efforts in reaching the next level of certification for the provincial Healthy Foods Initiative. Currently, HGMH has a bronze in the program, and steps are underway for the hospital to reach a silver rating in the future.

New this year, HGMH has partnered with Community Living Glengarry (CLG) to expand the services the Therapeutic Garden provides. Through this partnership, people at CLG work with the garden coordinators to maintain the garden, gaining valuable experience, knowledge, skills, and social interactions.

Also this year, HGMH has been invited to participate in the OHA's Green Space for their annual conference "Health Achieve". Health Achieve is an award-winning event and has long been one of the largest and most respected health care events in North America - the preeminent gathering place for health care and business leaders. HGMH will be contributing tiered raised garden beds with produce to the event's Green Space. The objective of this initiative is to encourage hospitals to consider gardens and green spaces as part of a holistic approach to patient healing and to model the connection between food and health.