Taking root: the development of a hospital garden. (Park Maintenance).When we arrived we were alone, far away from home, in a completely different environment. The first few days were a hard adjustment. I had so many emotions running through my mind. I didn't know where to start. This garden was more helpful than anyone could imagine. It gave me a chance to calm down and start working on things that needed to be done. I organized my mind so I could be there for my son. -- Dean, parent Maintaining and beautifying grounds at any facility can be a costly and labor-intensive task. Building and Grounds Departments might find unique opportunities for assistance by tapping into the Recreation Therapy Department's creative resources. By implementing gardening and horticulture horticulture [Lat. hortus=garden], science and art of gardening and of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. Horticulture generally refers to small-scale gardening, and agriculture to the growing of field crops, usually on a large programs, work can be deferred to clients who receive therapeutic benefits from planting and maintaining the flowers and shrubs that decorate the landscape. Planting a Seed The Recreation Therapy/Child Life Department at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago has recently renovated two outside areas, turning them from underutilized and fairly unattractive areas into gardens teaming with color. The idea for these gardens emerged as the Recreation Therapists began to notice a large number of patients who indicated gardening as an activity they enjoyed doing with family members. Therefore, implementing a gardening program at the hospital would be a natural progression in providing normalization In relational database management, a process that breaks down data into record groups for efficient processing. There are six stages. By the third stage (third normal form), data are identified only by the key field in their record. of the environment. The first step in this process was to obtain support from other departments. Approval from administration was required as well as support and cooperation from the grounds and maintenance department. Both had to be assured that the garden would contribute to the beautification beau·ti·fy tr. & intr.v. beau·ti·fied, beau·ti·fy·ing, beau·ti·fies To make or become beautiful. beau of the landscape, have therapeutic value for the patients, and that Recreation Therapy staff would ascertain full responsibility for this area. Choosing a site for each garden was next on the agenda. These areas had to be easily accessible to patients and the staff. They also had to be in a place that had a great deal of pedestrian traffic and were highly visible in order to initiate and keep the interest of potential supporters. The garden areas at Shriners Hospital were eventually implemented at such sites -- in the backyard close to an entrance by several picnic tables A picnic table (or sometimes a picnic bench) is a modified table with benches expressly for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors (picnicking). In the past, picnic tables were typically made of wood, but modern tables can be made out of anything from recycled plastic to (where many patients, families, and staff often eat meals, take breaks, and relax). Once these two steps had been completed, it was time to get dirty. From Mud to Masterpiece With the help of a Bobcat bobcat: see lynx. bobcat Bobtailed, long-legged North American cat (Lynx rufus) found in forests and deserts from southern Canada to southern Mexico. It is a close relative of the lynx and caracal. and several husky volunteers, the old unsightly un·sight·ly adj. un·sight·li·er, un·sight·li·est Unpleasant or offensive to look at; unattractive. See Synonyms at ugly. un landscaping dissolved. When the volunteers departed, only a fresh bed of black dirt remained. Patients, parents, volunteers, and staff then went to work designing and sowing the garden. The plants arrived from a variety of resources. The patients and staff of Shriners Hospital jumped at the opportunity to contribute to this budding project. A "Plants and Pizza Day" was created by the Recreation Therapy Department. Pizza was provided in exchange for the donation of a plant. The party launched great curiosity for this project, with more than 40 plants joining our garden that day. More plants emerged after a young man adopted the gardens as his Eagle Scout Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts project. He was able to collect over 100 perennials through various donors, both individual and corporate. The transformation of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color and plants seemed to bloom overnight. This project reached out to the community and sparked external support. Furthermore, groups of local Shriners indicated an interest in sponsoring individual areas of the garden. This involved financial support for needed resources. Not only were more plants and gardening supplies purchased, but garden craft projects were also provided for patients to construct. These accessories provided more depth to the garden. Surprisingly, plants continued to arise without the knowledge of the Recreation Therapy Department staff. These plants have added a magical feel to the garden, leading the younger children to believe in garden fairies. Thus, each visit to the garden can become a new adventure. When all was said and done, the Recreation Therapy Department creatively utilized all their resources in order to decrease both financial and labor barriers. By creatively utilizing staff, patients, and volunteers from the community, these two gardens, entailing over 1,500 square feet, were implemented with almost no cost to the hospital ($29.50). Each garden was well established after only one growing season growing season, period during which plant growth takes place. In temperate climates the growing season is limited by seasonal changes in temperature and is defined as the period between the last killing frost of spring and the first killing frost of autumn, at which . The financial barriers and time constraints In law, time constraints are placed on certain actions and filings in the interest of speedy justice, and additionally to prevent the evasion of the ends of justice by waiting until a matter is moot. were eliminated. Once the gardens were designed and the initial footwork was completed, patients and family members continued with the care of shrubs and flowers. The impact of the garden has seemingly had two outcomes for patients and families: the satisfaction of nurturing another living element, and the creation of a calming environment in which to meditate med·i·tate v. med·i·tat·ed, med·i·tat·ing, med·i·tates v.tr. 1. To reflect on; contemplate. 2. To plan in the mind; intend: meditated a visit to her daughter. . Not only did the plants continue to thrive, but also more importantly the patients grew through the psychosocial psychosocial /psy·cho·so·cial/ (si?ko-so´shul) pertaining to or involving both psychic and social aspects. psy·cho·so·cial adj. Involving aspects of both social and psychological behavior. benefits of gardening. Green and Growing Implications in caring for a plant become one of the benefits of horticulture. The responsibility learned through gardening activities may transfer into patients taking an active role in nurturing their own well-being. Consequently, caring for a plant becomes a tool of self-expression while enhancing self-esteem. Self-expression can be an activity of solitude or it can increase socialization socialization /so·cial·iza·tion/ (so?shal-i-za´shun) the process by which society integrates the individual and the individual learns to behave in socially acceptable ways. so·cial·i·za·tion n. and team building among patients. Working side by side with peers helps to develop relationships and common interests. This is important because the formation of a group identity is significant in the social development and psychological well-being psychological well-being Research A nebulous legislative term intended to ensure that certain categories of lab animals, especially primates, don't 'go nuts' as a result of experimental design or conditions of children and adolescents. Age appropriateness is also an important component in any group project. The use of arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. offers a good medium to successfully account for various developmental and ability levels. Colorful birdhouses and beautiful mosaic tiles enhance the appearance of the garden and allow children to express their creativity. These accessories are easily spotted adding a sense of ownership to the children adorning these treasures. Container gardening is another accessory that was introduced as a supplementary activity in the winter in order to continue yearlong interest. The patients are involved in decorating their own terra cotta cot·ta n. pl. cot·tae or cot·tas A short surplice. [Medieval Latin, of Germanic origin.] planter planter, farm or garden implement that places propagating material such as seeds or seedlings into the ground, usually in rows. Broadcasting, i.e., scattering seed in all directions, by hand followed by harrowing (see harrow) to cover the seed with soil was an early prior to growing the flower of their choice. Patients feel a sense of achievement and pride over watching this new life grow. These containers are then transitioned outside to enhance the existing gardens in the spring. The current design of the garden leaves room for future adaptations. In conjunction with a multi-million dollar construction project, the Recreation Therapy Department hopes to increase the accessibility of the gardens. Brick paths through the garden, lined with raised beds, would allow children in wheelchairs to more easily participate. In Full Bloom full bloom the stage of a crop when two-thirds of the plants are in flower; the crop is mature. Since the conception of the gardens, the Recreation Therapy Department has been flooded with positive feedback. Testimonials from patients and parents who have used the garden as a healing tool to help overcome adversity can be read throughout this article. It is the hopes and intentions of the Recreation Therapy Department that the patient gardens will become areas that people of all abilities and ages can enjoy. By creatively utilizing assets, common grounds This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. can become an effective means of merging departments and enabling patients and parents to receive the holistic benefits of gardening. This decorative landscape is more than meets the eyes More Than Meets the Eye was the three-part series premiere for the 1984 cartoon The Transformers. The three-part pilot was originally known simply as The Transformers . Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies ACCREDITED accredited recognition by an appropriate authority that the performance of a particular institution has satisfied a prestated set of criteria. accredited herds cattle herds which have achieved a low level of reactors to, e.g. AGENCIES The following agencies are recognized as an accredited park and recreation agency by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, by having fully demonstrated their commitment to the park and recreation field by complying with a body of standards deemed essential to the quality of services delivered and the professionalism of their operational system.
1. Monmouth County Park System,
New Jersey
Accredited February 1994
2. Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Accredited February 1994
3. Northbrook Park District, Illinois
Accredited February 1994
4. City of Asheville Parks, Recreation &
Public Facilities Dept., North Carolina
Accredited February 1994
5. City of Greenfield Parks and
Recreation Department, Indiana
Accredited October 1994
6. City of Piano Parks and Recreation
Department, Texas
Accredited October 1994
7. City of Roseville Parks and Recreation
Department, Minnesota
Accredited October 1994
8. City of Scottsdale Community Services
Department, Arizona
Accredited October 1994
9. Miami-Dade County Park and
Recreation Department, Florida
Accredited October 1995
10. City of Lenexa Parks and Recreation
Department, Kansas
Accredited October 1995
11. Newton Recreation Commission
Board, Kansas
Accredited October 1996
12. City of Germantown Parks and
Recreation Department, Tennessee
Accredited October 1996
13. City of Kettering, Parks Recreation and
Cultural Arts Department, Ohio
Accredited November 1996
14. Broward County Parks and Recreation
Division, Florida
Accredited February 1997
15. Town of Gates Recreation and Parks
Department, New York
Accredited October 1997
16. City of Franklin Parks and
Recreation, Indiana
Accredited October 1997
17. City of Columbus Parks and
Recreation Department, Georgia
Accredited September 1998
18. Chicago Park District, Illinois
Accredited September 1998
19. City of Virginia Beach Department of
Parks and Recreation, Virginia
Accredited February 1999
20. City of Alpharetta Recreation and
Parks Department, Georgia
Accredited February 1999
21. Kansas City Parks and Recreation
Department, Missouri
Accredited February 1999
22. City of Largo Department of Recreation
and Parks, Florida
Accredited October 1999
23. Johnson County Park and Recreation
District, Kansas
Accredited October 1999
24. City of Delray Beach Parks and
Recreation Department, Florida
Accredited March 2000
25. City of Gainesville Parks and
Recreation Agency, Georgia
Accredited March 2000
26. Martin County Parks and Recreation
Department, Florida
Accredited March 2000
27. City of Salisbury Parks and Recreation
Department, North Carolina
Accredited October 2000
28. City of Henderson Parks and
Recreation Department, Nevada
Accredited February 2001
29. City of Bloomington Parks and
Recreation Department, Indiana
Accredited February 2001
30. City of Little Rock Parks and
Recreation Department, Arkansas
Accredited February 2001
31. East Lansing Recreation and Arts,
Michigan
Accredited February 2001
32. Lee County Parks and Recreation,
Florida
Accedited October 2001
33. City of Coral Gables Parks and
Recreation Department, Florida
Accredited October 2001
For further information on how your agency can become accredited,
contact NRPA, Michelle Herrera, CPRP, at (703) 858-2152; e-mail:
mherrera@nrpa.org or online at www.nrpa.org
Check out "Taking Root: The Development of a Hospital Garden" by Kristen A. Johnson, MS, CTRS CTRS Centers (street suffix) CTRS Containers CTRS Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist CTRS Conventional Terrestrial Reference System CTRS Center for Technology Risk Studies (University of Maryland) , Melanie K. Bland, CCLS CCLS Certified Child Life Specialist CCLS Canadian Council of Land Surveyors CCLS Cultural Center for Language Studies (Brazilian language school Centro de Cultura Anglo Americana, CCAA in the USA) , CTRS, and Shannon M. Rathsam, CTRS, on page 60. Johnson graduated with a BS in 1986 from the University of Iowa Not to be confused with Iowa State University. The first faculty offered instruction at the University in March 1855 to students in the Old Mechanics Building, situated where Seashore Hall is now. In September 1855, the student body numbered 124, of which, 41 were women. , and received an MS in 1996 in Recreation Administration from Aurora University For the defunct catholic university in Shanghai of the same name, see . Academics Aurora University is organized into three colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, and the College of Professional Studies. . She enjoys the outdoors and is currently working on obtaining a Landscape Horticulture Certificate from the Modern Arboretum arboretum: see botanical garden. arboretum Place where trees, shrubs, and sometimes herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. An arboretum may be a collection in its own right or a part of a botanical garden. . Bland is dually certified as a child life specialist and a recreation therapist. She graduated from Indiana University Indiana University, main campus at Bloomington; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1820 as a seminary, opened 1824. It became a college in 1828 and a university in 1838. The medical center (run jointly with Purdue Univ. in 1997 and enjoys recreation and leisure activities. Currently, she is working on re-landscaping her home. Rathsam graduated from Indiana University in 2000. She spends her free time outside rollerblading, swimming and walking. She was inspired to create a butterfly garden For the garden hobby, see .  This article or section contains information about an unreleased video game. at the hospital after watching her neighbor's
butterfly garden flourish.
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