Aimée Taylor is well versed in the power of plants. Not in their medicinal or nutritional uses, but the healthy benefits of simply being near them.

Growing them, nurturing them, harvesting them — Taylor has seen first-hand how plants can give purpose, pride and a sense of community to those who might be feeling isolated, depressed, or helpless.

“If you look at the research in environmental psychology, it shows that gardening helps people recover from stress and it can help people focus less on their problems,” Taylor said. “Evidence has shown that gardening makes people feel more optimistic, gives them a regular routine, a sense of purpose and achievement.”

Taylor is a horticulture therapist who works in Vancouver gardens alongside disabled adults and seniors living in care homes.

She and her colleagues have seen seniors go from listless to animated when introduced to soil and seedlings. They have seen people in wheelchairs — who once expressed feelings of physical defeat — work happily in raised garden beds. They have seen signs of recognition on the faces of those with Alzheimer’s as they held a rose or picked a tomato.

“It is extremely inspiring to see it work,” Taylor said. “Certainly it seems to be something that’s up and coming.”

A developing body of research is adding scientific strength to the widely held belief that working in a garden is good for your mental and physical health.

A behavioural research study conducted a few years ago at Rutgers University found the presence of flowers — at the bedside or outside a window — triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behaviour in positive ways that exceed what was previously believed.

An earlier study, conducted by health care design expert Roger Ulrich, compared the hospital records of patients recovering from gall bladder surgery and found those with a view of trees– rather than a view of a brick wall — spent less time in the hospital and required fewer and less-potent drugs to remain comfortable.

Horticulture therapy has been around in this province for decades, but is experiencing a surge in interest as people discover the health benefits of digging in the dirt and growing their own produce.

Christine Pollard, a horticulture therapist who has grown and raised her own food in the Cowichan Valley for years, sounded vindicated when she said in a recent interview, “I’m trendy. I never thought I’d be trendy.”

Pollard has worked as a horticultural therapist and educator for 25 years. She has countless stories about the people she has worked with and the ways in which they’ve been helped by horticulture therapy.

“What I love about horticulture therapy is that we don’t look at what people can’t do. We look at what they can do and go from there,” she said.

Pollard once worked with a man who was blind and autistic, but very interested in plants and gardening.

“He learned how to identify plants by feel and scent,” she said.

An elderly woman she once worked with was stubborn and inactive because she felt constrained by her walker.

“Three months later, she had tossed her walker aside and was out weeding,” Pollard said.

For seniors who grew up in the country or had gardens when they were younger, flowers and vegetables can help them tap into their long-term memory.

But there is no sweeping model for everybody. Horticulture therapists are trained to design specific programs based on individual needs and skills.

For people with mental health issues, horticulture therapy can be particularly effective.

“Gardens are seen as a safe place to be and gardeners are seen as safe people,” Pollard said.

“If you take responsibility for a garden, you take responsibility for yourself.”

Pollard will be leading a course in horticulture therapy at VanDusen Botanical Garden starting at the end of April.

But for something less structured — which will still satisfy the urge to get dirt under the fingernails — Pollard is a big supporter of the community garden movement.

“Nobody cares about your income or your job. They only want to know if you grow good tomatoes,” she said. By Amy O’Brian, Canada Dot Com