Tania Wiseman

Gardening as an Occupation: A Critical Review

Purpose: The occupation of gardening has historically generated a wealth of literature. Although espousing its positive impact on wellbeing, evidence is typically anecdotal in nature, with only one major synthesis of reliable evidence to date. This study sought to explore peoples experiences and personal meanings of gardening within the literature, from 2003–2010, in order to present a concise body of evidence and to inform occupational therapy practice. Procedures: A meta-ethnography was used in gathering high quality qualitative studies, synthesising through a process of translations, rather than aggregation, in order to preserve meanings from within a range of culturally specific contexts. Four papers, out of 214 initially identified, met the inclusion criteria employed. Findings: This study has identified processes within the occupation of gardening in a natural environment, which offer satisfying and meaningful methods of recovery for people who are marginalised within society. This has been shown on an individual and a community health level. Conclusion: This study has highlighted fundamental links between gardening and wellbeing, and how occupational therapists can broaden practice and have an impact upon health at a community level.

Participation in Occupations: Some Experiences of People with Parkinson's Disease:

Evidence suggests that people with Parkinsons disease can experience difficulties participating in occupations. This article describes a qualitative study that explored how seven people with Parkinsons disease perceived their participation in occupations. The analysis of the semi-structured interviews led to the identification of three themes: changes, addressing changes and perspectives on living with Parkinsons disease. Many findings supported the existing literature; for example, difficulties with self-care occupations and the desire to maintain normality. The new findings included the participants describing positive changes in their lives that were attributable to having Parkinsons disease and using occupations purposefully to enhance wellbeing. The results support the use of a client-centred approach to consider the implications of participation in occupations for people with Parkinsons disease, because this may encourage clients to use their own expert knowledge to enhance existing coping strategies. The recommendations for further research include an investigation as to whether the themes identified apply to a larger population and including people with Parkinsons disease in designing future research questions about the impact of occupational participation on wellbeing.

Gardening: An Occupation for Recovery and Wellness

Gardening is widely used in promoting recovery and wellness. The use of gardening as a medium within therapy has a long history, and there is evidence of its effectiveness (York and Wiseman 2012). The focus in this chapter is on the purpose of gardening as an occupational therapy intervention (OTI). Gardening is a normal authentic common activity that is easily graded to all situations, from indoors in a nursing home, to community gardens. It is a versatile therapeutic medium, and different aspects of gardening can be graded and adapted to meet the needs of a wide range of clients. Evidence from occupational therapy gardening research supports its use in stress reduction. Skills and knowledge that an occupational therapist (OT) needs such as plant care are considered. Evaluations of the effectiveness of gardening in occupational therapy conclude that it increases motivation to participate, provides enjoyment, and creates a profound and intimate connection to the natural world.

Garden visiting as a meaningful occupation for people in later life

Introduction Garden visiting, as described in this study, involves visiting private gardens which householders have temporarily opened to the public, in support of charity. In the United Kingdom, garden visiting is a popular occupation which attracts 750,000 people each year. The connections between active gardening and wellbeing are well established, particularly for people in later life. This research explores visiting other people’s gardens for leisure in order to deepen our understanding of how garden visiting is experienced as an occupation. Method Seven people aged between 60 and 81 years old who considered themselves fully retired were interviewed whilst walking through parks and public gardens. Thematic analysis with inductive coding was used to analyse the data. Findings Four themes emerged: time and wellbeing, embodied wellbeing, being part of a gardening community and pondering the creator. Conclusion Garden visiting is a complex occupation which brings far-reaching benefits to individuals and communities. Garden visiting also has important implications for increasing wellbeing by grounding people in the present and promoting sensory engagement.