Dementia Gardening

Creating peace and tranquillity for people living with dementia.

Garden Meditation

Beyond simple beauty, gardens and nature itself can be a sanctuary for quiet reflection and inner peace. By combining the gentle rhythms of nature with intentional breathing and your five senses, garden meditation can help you let go of distractions and enjoy the present moment.

My approach blends ancient contemplative practices with my understanding of the healing power and positive energy of plants to create a deeply restorative space where you can connect with nature and yourself.

Tabletop Gardening

With the proper attentiveness and by cultivating a state of mindfulness, the act of gardening can help you tend to your own inner landscape just as you tend to the plants surrounding you.

Tabletop gardening brings all the healing and mindful benefits of gardening to the indoors, combining the essence of nature and the tranquillity of miniature landscapes. This offers a unique and accessible yet engaging way of cultivating serenity within limited spaces, allowing your worries to melt away as you focus your attention to the task at hand and let the repetitive motions calm your mind.

How dementia gardening works

I begin the gardening workshops with a gentle mindful movement sequence which is basically Tai chi and meditation. This can be done sitting down or standing. This helps us to settle and feel a sense of ease before we start the activity. Benefits of social dementia gardening include:

Providing a sense of purpose and mindful engagement in the present moment.
Positive remembering: e.g. the aroma of Rosemary may remind you/us of preparing meals for loved ones Dexterity and movement - utilising our fine motor skills helps reduce rigidity of the joints.
Being present with our senses, the plants and soil: sight, smell, touch, taste and sound keep us in the here and now and evoke a sense of wellbeing and calm.
People with Dementia can be active and feel part of the community with this shared gardening experience without the risk of feeling stranded or out of their depth.
Increase the visibility of people with dementia so that they can enjoy mindful gardening and interact with their community and continue being a gardener and enjoying gardening.

If you are looking for somebody who understands the healing power of nature and how a garden can work for you, Dementia Garden should be your first port of call. My approach results in healthy gardens that benefit the inhabitants and owners alike, aiding in relaxation, awareness of nature and general wellbeing.

If you are interested in my services, please email me at

heather@gardeninmind.co.uk

Garden Maintenance

Helping People To Thrive Naturally

My approach as a gardener and therapist is always to look at the garden space as a whole, and try to build on what is already there. In this way we can preserve and enhance the character of the garden together, and help the plants and flowers already there to flourish. A healthy, successful garden benefits the people who inhabit that space too, and helps aid relaxation, awareness of nature, and general wellbeing. This approach is relevant in both gardening and in therapy.

By engaging in dementia gardening workshops, attendees will spend more time outdoors, being active and engaged in the progress of nature, and feel great benefits from that alone, before you even consider the mindfulness and interaction benefits that come from working in a likeminded group.

About Me