Therapeutic Horticulture Direct Services and Consultation

Direct Services and Consultation

Interested in introducing a therapeutic horticulture program at your site? We’re here to help!

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Individual Therapeutic Horticulture Sessions

Have you or someone you love experienced a reduced ability to access, enjoy, or engage with gardening/the natural world due to an unforeseen life circumstance or physical, psychological, intellectual, or cognitive challenges? We’re here to bridge the barriers you’re facing and welcome the opportunity to learn about your unique situation and provide programming that reunites you and/or your loved one with greater access to the natural world.

The North Carolina Botanical Garden offers individual therapeutic horticulture (TH) sessions that could take place at your home or at our Garden.

Individual Session Cost

$75/facilitation hour (includes travel up to 10 miles from NCBG)

Session locations further than 10 miles subject to additional travel fee.
Material fees may apply

Example of Services

Note: Most services can be provided indoors or outdoors

Provide one-on-one assistance for individuals who desire to complete their own home plant/garden maintenance tasks.
Provide general health and wellbeing TH activities that involve the use of live plants and/or nature-based arts and crafts.
Provide TH activities that work collaboratively with allied health disciplines to meet established rehabilitative treatment goals.
Assess the home garden site and the needs of the client to determine what adaptive tools, techniques, and environmental adaptations could be made for the space to be more accessible or conducive to independent engagement.

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Group Therapeutic Horticulture Sessions

Do you work for an organization or company who is looking for ways to add cost effective treatment, entertainment, and social engagement opportunities that are centered on the needs of your clients? The North Carolina Botanical Garden provides a wide array of stimulating therapeutic horticulture (TH) activities that are designed specifically for group settings.

One-Time / As-Needed Session

Allow us to provide 45 minutes of TH programming for your clients on an as-needed basis. This option is excellent for programs/facilities who want to provide supplemental activities for stimulating and beneficial social engagement opportunities, special occasions, holidays, birthdays, etc.

Ongoing Sessions

Allow us to provide 45 minutes of therapeutic horticulture programming for your clients on an ongoing basis. This option is excellent for programs/facilities who want to establish regular visits from our highly skilled TH practitioners. Receiving ongoing therapeutic horticulture services opens the possibility that TH program participants can provide regular maintenance of the plants in indoor or outdoor common areas, courtyards, or gardens at your site with the guidance of a skilled TH practitioner. Contact us and let us know how many visits you’d like a week/month, and we’ll not only provide high quality programming for your clients, but also increase the aesthetic appeal of the site for clients, staff, and visitors to enjoy.

Examples of Potential Client-Centered Programming Activities

Garden maintenance activities
Starting/growing plants from seed
Planning, planting, maintaining vegetables
Maintaining a perennial/shrub nursery
Planting and maintaining raised beds and annual flower containers
Greenhouse plant production
Indoor & outdoor plant propagation and maintenance
Plant-based arts and crafts
Creation of value-added products- Pressed flower cards, wreathes, dried herb blends, etc.
Cut flower gardening & bouquets
Nature walks & ‘Forest Bathing’
Vocational training- green-industry skills & workplace psychosocial skills
Mindfulness activities
Plant sales (increase financial viability of program)

Group Session Cost

Up to 10 people: $100/facilitation hour (includes travel up to 10 miles from NCBG)

11-20 people: $150/facilitation hour (includes travel up to 10 miles from NCBG)

Session locations further than 10 miles subject to additional travel fee.
Material fees may apply

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Site Viability Assessment

Not sure if your site is conducive to having a therapeutic horticulture program? Allow us to perform a Site Viability Assessment before investing time and money. We’ll empower you with the information you need to allot or solicit funding for a potential TH program.

Upon completion of the assessment, you can expect the following:

A list of potential TH activities and anticipated health and wellbeing outcomes that can be achieved at your site.
A list of safety concerns and/or environmental hazards that would need to be addressed in the intended programming site (if any) to accommodate your client base.
A list of potential adaptive tools and environmental adaptations that might be necessary to ensure the success of TH programming participants.
Approximately how often the site would require the presence of a trained TH practitioner or assistance of garden volunteers/Grounds staff (if at all).
Suggestions for collaborative efforts between TH and other site disciplines/departments.
The recommendation of a highly experienced TH professional on whether the site is a viable option for a TH program.

Note: The TH Site Viability Assessment can be used as a resource and tool to solicit program funding.

Site Viability Assessment Cost

Price varies by site. Average cost: $250-500 per assessment

Request a Site Viability Assessment

Program Development Consultation Services

NCBG has highly experienced therapeutic horticulture consultants who are ready to take the guesswork out of starting a successful TH program at your site. TH programs can be scaled to the needs and budget of any given site, and it’s common for various elements of a TH program to be broken into phases that are introduced as funds become available. There is no one-size-fits-all program development solution, which means that every program that we create is 100% unique to each site. We work closely with site representatives and stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of the objectives you’re hoping to achieve and find creative programmatic solutions that will support your mission.

Consultation Cost

Pricing is dependent on the scope and complexity of the project. Please contact us to discuss your project and learn more:

Request a Program Development Consultation

Therapeutic Garden Design Consultation

For those who are looking to transform an existing garden, underutilized outdoor space, or land into a functional oasis that has the capacity to engage its visitors and provide therapeutic growth opportunities, NCBG is proud to offer a range of garden design consultation services. We are equipped to create garden designs independently or in collaboration with the Grounds Department of a site, the landscape designer/architect or landscaping company of your choice.

Examples of services

1.) Original therapeutic garden designs:

Passive engagement features- (designed to provide therapeutic benefits for visitors regardless of the presence of a trained TH practitioner)
Active engagement features- (designed to meet the needs of intended population(s) & associated TH activities)

2.) Assess an existing garden/outdoor space and make recommendations that increase the safety, accessibility, and functionality for the primary users of the space.

3.) Consult directly with landscape companies/designers who want to gain more design/install/maintenance jobs in clinical settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, etc. that have specific needs and requirements for safety and functionality.

Therapeutic Garden Design Consultation Cost