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The Calgary Flames stopped by the Alberta Children’s Hospital on December 22 to visit inpatients and families.  Fortunately, they were able to participate in the inpatient Horticultural Therapy program that afternoon.  Our activity for that day involved creating some beautiful Christmas flower arrangements using fresh cut flowers, terra cotta pots, and floral Oasis.  The children really enjoy creating flower arrangement and the Oasis make it easier to arrange the flowers.  Trimming the stems and inserting the stems into the Oasis encourages fine-motor skill development and working in a group helps develop social skills for children that, in some instances, aren’t used to socializing with their peers.  Creativity is also encouraged – we use special terra cotta markers, paint, stickers, paper and Mod Podge to decorate the pots.  On December 22, however, most of the children had their pots decorated by the Calgary Flames – with signatures, well wishes and players’ numbers decorating their Christmas centrepieces.

It was a real thrill for the children to have the Flames stop by the HT program that afternoon.  The players were terrific with the kids and EVERYONE left feeling just a little bit better than when they arrived…

Becky Feasby
Horticultural Therapist
Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary AB

By Tami Proctor, HTR in Dundas, Ontario.

“Nature at its Best” – My Garden 2008

My journey into Horticultural Therapy began with a magazine I received for Christmas in 2001.  In this magazine, an article about Horticultural Therapy quite literally changed my life! Prior to this magazine, I had never heard of Horticultural Therapy and had no clue what it was.   In the moment of reading that article, I felt as though I had been struck by lightening!  With a certainty so clear, I knew that I had to do this professionally for the rest of my career.  But how…? I had no clue where to begin.

I forged my way ahead regardless of knowing what I was doing and learned along the way. I connected with the right organizations, took every course I could take and read everything I could get my hands on!  I think eight years later I am still forging my way ahead and creating the career I feel most reflects the way I wish to practice Horticultural Therapy.

When I first began my practice, I started with volunteering in Horticultural Therapy and introducing horticulture programming into my practice as a Recreation Therapist.  I was offered an opportunity to practice Horticulture Therapy one day per week but how would I do that if I were working as a Recreation Therapist?  I had to decide if I should take the leap.  I needed to believe in my skill and myself and jump!  I leapt and I have never looked back!  The net appeared and the opportunities have been remarkable!  I am now currently self-employed, contracting out my services as a Horticultural Therapist.  I have three contracts and work four days per week, and have begun teaching Horticultural Therapy to others.  Did I ever think that I would get to this point, certainly not when I first began my journey into HT.  If I had to think about all of the points that I needed to gain in order to receive my designation as a registered horticultural therapist, I do not think that I would have been able to move forward.   I would have been crippled by the amount of work that I needed to achieve.  So instead, I kept my focus on the smaller picture, I kept chipping away, learning more, getting more work.

I did eventually get to my destination of receiving my designation as an HTR but 6 years after I had read that article!  In my case, it was both the journey and the destination that were equally important. My message to those in the process of obtaining their designation, don’t give up!  Keep plugging away, and take the leap!  Your belief in yourself and your skill is the key to others believing you to be a quality Horticultural Therapist.  The journey is just as important as the destination enjoy your journey!