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Growing Wellness: Using Indoor Gardens in Horticultural Therapy

Join us for an enlightening presentation on how horticultural therapists are harnessing the power of grow lights to cultivate thriving indoor gardens. Growing Wellness: Using Indoor Gardens in Horticultural Therapy will explore how artificial lighting solutions can support plant growth in various settings, making horticultural therapy accessible in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other environments where natural sunlight is limited.

Discover practical strategies for selecting and utilizing grow lights to enhance therapeutic programs. Learn how these tools ensure year-round access to the healing benefits of plants, fostering connection, relaxation, and growth in those who need it most. Whether you’re a seasoned horticultural therapist or just beginning to explore the field, this presentation will provide valuable insights into integrating indoor gardening into wellness practices.

Meet Our Speaker: Tammy Brenner

Tammy Brenner, Program Manager of the Plant Growth Facilities at Colorado State University, brings a wealth of experience to this session. She plays a crucial role in supporting plant-based research by overseeing the allocation of greenhouse and growth chamber space for over 45 faculty members. She also manages repairs and improvements for the expansive 65,000-square-foot facility, ensures compliance with federal permits, and—her favorite part—fosters connections between the community and CSU’s innovative plant research.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain expert knowledge on indoor gardening and its role in horticultural therapy. We look forward to seeing you there!

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A Different Way of Knowing: Using Phenology to Garden Better

In an era of unpredictable weather patterns, where temperature swings and rainfall fluctuations can vary dramatically even within the same region, how can we cultivate deeper wisdom in the garden? The answer lies in phenology—the time-honored practice of observing the rhythms of nature to guide our gardening choices.

This session invites you to slow down and tune in to the subtle yet profound signals of the natural world. By studying the life cycles of plants, insects, and wildlife, you'll gain insights that no search engine or forecast can provide. Discover how to recognize nature’s cues—when the lilacs signal it’s time to plant, when the fireflies indicate soil warmth, and how pollinators reveal the health of your garden ecosystem.

Join us for an exploration of this centuries-old science, learning to work in harmony with nature’s calendar. Whether you are a seasoned gardener, a horticultural therapist, or someone who simply finds joy in the garden, phenology offers a richer, more intuitive way to cultivate resilience and connection in your green spaces.

Our speaker: Kristin Krokowski. Professor, University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension.

Her research and programming focus is on produce safety, farmers' markets and the success of small to medium size fruit and vegetable growers throughout Wisconsin. She is a Lead Trainer for the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Alliance Training. Kristin also provides leadership for the Wisconsin Farmers Market Association and educational programs and technical assistance to farmers’ market managers and vendors including market start-up, marketing, production, pest management, EBT (SNAP) and produce safety. She works locally and in collaboration with colleagues statewide to provide education and diagnostic services to the landscape industry and municipalities on ornamental horticulture. Kristin’s B.S is in Ecosystems Management from Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska and her M.S is in Horticulture from Purdue University. She is an avid and sometimes successful home gardener.

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Nominations for AHTA Board of Directors are now open!

AHTA is a member-driven organization, and we need those with a passion for our field to help grow AHTA into the next 50 years! We value your rooted expertise in areas like marketing, social media, sponsorship and partnership development, magazine editing, webinar development, membership growth, conference planning, and exam development. Help plant the seeds for the future of AHTA and the profession by volunteering!

Nominations will be open until May 1, 2025. Let’s sprout new ideas and cultivate success together!

AHTA ‘Growing Impact’ Campaign: Advancing Youth Wellness Through Horticulture 

Phase 1: Sowing Seeds! 

AHTA is grateful for the incredible turnout and enthusiastic participation in the ‘Growing Impact’ Youth Wellness Campaign Webinar Series! The depth of expertise shared by our first two webinar presenters — Dr. Andrew Zeiger and Dr. Charlie Hall - truly enriched the conversation and sparked meaningful dialogue.  Follow-up resources from the first two webinars will be shared with attendees soon, for ongoing engagement and deeper learning. We are inspired by the new initiatives and collaborations already taking root as a result of the shared learning. AHTA is looking forward to building on this momentum and seeing you at the next webinar in the Youth Wellness Campaign Series: 

4/24/2025 Healing People Heal the Planet: Becoming Eco-Aware. 

Experience the power of mindfulness, storytelling, and connection with Nature. Hear inspiring testimonials from vulnerable communities most affected by climate change, who found healing in natural spaces and emerged as dedicated stewards of both their environment and community. Let their journeys motivate you to explore the vital relationship between personal well-being and ecological care. Special emphasis will be placed on developing our next generation, empowering youth with important tools that (1) nurture the dimensions of their health, and (2) inspire the development of thoughtful, environmentally aware of leaders. 

Knellee Bisram, CEO/Founder and Lead NGO Representative to the United Nations, AHAM Education, Inc., and Piero Falci, Board Member, AHAM Education. Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living Teacher, Co-creator of B.Nature, Author of Mindfulness for a Better Mind, Life and World.

Free Webinar Brought to You by Ball Horticultural Company.

More partners and sponsors to follow! Please direct any questions to [email protected]. 

Game: Gathering Nature’s Treasures

By Lesley Fleming, HTR & Maureen Bethel, BA, BEd, CAE
From Nova Scotia Horticulture for Health Network

Young children: The game can promote a sense of exploration, independence and curiosity, all of which address cognitive, social-emotional and physical development in a child. Nature-based play can also help reduce anxiety, improve self-regulation, and offer safe spaces for children to explore their physical world. Using the game in TH sessions with parent/family-child participants, the game can incorporate therapeutic goals related to fostering attachment, introducing the concept and need for risky play (leading children and parents to develop problem solving skills). This demonstrates the TH activity’s versatility with populations like parents/family groups. Step by step instructions are available in THAD (here). Materials: baskets or pails for collecting items, access to nature area with pinecones, flowers etc., whistle, gloves,wipes. SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: Facilitators are responsible for knowing poisonous and toxic plants and plant parts (more detail in THAD).

Tips for Practice
Applications for other populations with physical therapeutic goals can target wide-ranging challenges like sedentary behaviors, sense of touch, bending and kneeling practice, and time outdoors breathing fresh air. These can be appropriate for different populations including people with nature deficit disorder, stroke recovery patients, recently diagnosed medical conditions where confidence in going outside has been affected, and people with developmental disabilities. Appropriate supervision is required and will vary by individuals and populations. Game rules can be adapted to increase physical activity, focus on specific physical challenges and appropriate for participants. An indoor application of the nature’s bounty game can accommodate people with mobility issues who are more comfortable indoors moving on smooth surfaces, or other reasons. THAD identifies relevant goals in five health domains for this, and each THAD activity.

Lesley Fleming, HTR leads the Nova Scotia and the Florida Horticulture for Health Networks. Her recent work has included leading the collaborative THAD project, FLHHN’s Resource Hub, and 2024 Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture articles on TH Goals co-authored with Elizabeth Diehl and Kathryn Grimes and Positive Impacts from COVID-19 on Gardening and HT.

Maureen Bethel, BA, BEd, CAE is Manager of Daybreak Parent Child Centre, Community and Parent Programs in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her background in the field of community capacity building with focus on early learning and complex needs of families using strengths- based holistic programs, along with education and training in education/adult education, horticulture and horticultural therapy inform her work.

Updates from AHTA