First Therapeutic Garden Opens in the West

-Research on health benefits of interaction with greenery expanded with two new projects

-Two more gardens to be opened by first quarter 2019 bringing total to 6 therapeutic gardens

The National Parks Board (NParks) today opened a new therapeutic garden at Choa Chu Kang Park, the first in the growing network of therapeutic gardens that serves the community living in the west of Singapore.

The development of the Therapeutic Garden @ Choa Chu Kang Park and its programmes are supported by a contribution of around $500,000 in total from the Ascendas-Singbridge Gives Foundation and Tote Board through the Garden City Fund. The ongoing expansion of the network of therapeutic gardens across Singapore means that more Singaporeans will now have easy access to a therapeutic garden and its therapeutic horticulture programmes.

Minister for Health and Adviser to Chua Chu Kang GROs, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, Mr Gan Kim Yong, who was the guest-of-honour, officiated the opening of the new therapeutic garden at an event in Choa Chu Kang Park this evening.

Enabling inclusive, silver-friendly communities

Designed using science-based principles, therapeutic gardens are deliberately planned to facilitate people’s interactions with nature and improve the mental well-being of its visitors. A specific selection of plant species is used in each of the garden’s four zones to evoke strong memories and engage the senses. These include plants that are fragrant, edible or medicinal, coloured or textured, as well as those which attract birds and butterflies.

Located next to an existing 3-Generational Community Garden, a children’s play area and an Allotment Garden, the new Therapeutic Garden @ Choa Chu Kang Park will create more opportunities for intergenerational interaction as families come together to enjoy the restorative benefits of nature with seniors in their community.

The garden will also present therapeutic horticulture programmes targeting beneficiaries located in the vicinity, such as Fei Yue Senior Group Home, Econ Medicare Centre & Nursing Home and MWS Nursing Home. Customised to the needs of seniors at each eldercare centre or senior activity centre, these programmes take reference from those conducted at earlier therapeutic gardens. They help to increase social interaction and aim to elevate the overall sense of well-being in participants to promote healing and recovery.

Therapeutic horticulture programmes at Choa Chu Kang Park’s therapeutic garden will commence late August 2018, and include art and floral appreciation as well as gardening. More than 60 sessions of the therapeutic horticulture programmes have been conducted at HortPark since it was rolled out in December 2016, benefiting over 300 participants from eldercare centres such as Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home and St Luke’s ElderCare. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Tiong Bahru Park have conducted 14 sessions of therapeutic horticulture programme since September 2017, benefitting more than 140 participants, including seniors from St Andrew’s SAC and the Institute of Mental Health.

Expanding reach of therapeutic horticulture programmes and research projects

NParks is partnering researchers on projects to better understand the health benefits that parks and greenery bring to health and mental well-being, in order to enhance the design of green spaces and therapeutic horticulture programmes. These studies are part of a research framework that examines how people’s physical and mental health are affected by (1) accessibility to parks and greenery; (2) landscape design; (3) green exercise; and (4) horticultural programmes.

Interim findings from two ongoing studies focused on green exercise and horticultural programmes respectively have been thus far been positive. The first is the Park Prescription Project where park prescription intervention is embedded in community health screenings. Results from the initial six months saw substantial improvements in park use, physical activity in parks and recreational physical activity. The second study investigating the benefits of therapeutic horticulture in promoting the mental well-being and cognitive functioning of the elderly observed psychological and cognitive benefits in participants after each session of therapeutic horticulture.

This year, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, NParks embarked on two new research projects focused on the accessibility to parks and greenery, as well as landscape design. The first with the School of Psychological Medicine investigates the effects of viewing visuals of, and being immersed in, public spaces with different landscape characteristics, on participants’ brain activity. The second study with Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health looks at how parks, green spaces and their different attributes contribute to overall health and well-being.

NParks’ Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) also offers a variety of courses and workshops to train both its staff and industry partners in topics related to therapeutic gardens and therapeutic horticulture. These include an introduction to horticulture therapy and therapeutic gardens, developing goals and activities in therapeutic horticulture programming as well as the design of therapeutic gardens (for dementia-specific aged care). In December 2017, CUGE also started offering a Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture to feed the steady interest in developing and conducting therapeutic horticulture programmes. More than 200 NParks staff and over 100 industry professionals have participated in these courses to date.

Partnering the community to extend network of therapeutic gardens

The development of the network of therapeutic gardens continues to involve strong working relationships with agencies and NGOs, hospitals, nursing homes and tertiary institutions. For example, NParks has provided guidance on the design of therapeutic gardens, therapeutic horticulture programming and selection of suitable plants to the Institute of Mental Health, as well as training workshops on conducting therapeutic horticulture programmes to the Singapore Association of Occupational Therapists (SAOT), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and NTUC Healthcare Nursing Homes.

NParks will also be introducing two more therapeutic gardens by first quarter 2019 at Sembawang Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. This is part of its partnership with the community to develop the network of therapeutic gardens, a key initiative under the Action Plan for Successful Ageing report announced by the Ministerial Committee on Ageing in 2015.

Beyond the network of therapeutic gardens, NParks continues to support other organisations interested to create similar gardens within their premises. These include the Healing Forest Garden at the Woodlands Health Campus, the NTUC Healthcare Nursing Home (Jurong West) which is purpose-built as a therapeutic garden, and the recently announced Bukit Canberra. Therapeutic horticulture activities have also been conducted at gardens in several community facilities, such as Yishun Community Hospital, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery and Ren Ci @ Bukit Batok St 52 Nursing Home.

For more information on NParks’ therapeutic gardens, please visit https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/therapeutic-gardens.

Information accurate as of 2 July 2018