Who Is Gardening In Martha M. Tyson's The Healing Landscape

In her book, The Healing Landscape: Therapeutic Outdoor Environment, Martha M. Tyson relates the following story:
Vince’s grandmother was in her nineties. For quite some time she had not recognized Vince and was not really fully aware of what was going on around her. Since it was Easter time, Vince decided to pay her a visit. During his drive there, Vince came upon a roadside stand that advertised lilacs for sale. In southern California, lilacs do not grow well. This stand, however, had great quantities of them, and they were cheap. So Vince brought an enormous number of the lilacs and put them in the back of his van…By the time Vince arrived at the nursing home, the lilacs were looking very sad. When Vince walked into his grandmother’s room, she looked at him as always, blankly, and then she looked at the flowers. “They’re wilted! Throw them away!” After all this effort Vince was not about to throw them away, so he moved the lilacs closer, right under her nose. She drew in the fragrance with a deep breath and a sigh and …show more content…
Although gardening may be a hobby for some people, it can be therapy for others as well. According to the article, “Horticultural Therapy,” horticultural therapy is therapy that uses plants to promote individual mental, physical, and emotional health. While horticultural therapy can be used for a wide range of people, horticultural therapy can specifically help with people who are suffering with dementia. In the article, “Gardens That Care: Planning Outdoor Environments for People with Dementia,” by the An Australian Government Initiative, “dementia is a broad term used to describe a loss in memory, intellect, rationality, social skills, and normal emotional reactions in a person’s behavior.” The use of horticultural therapy has helped dementia patients communicate better, trigger memories, and learn how to take care of the