Trend Watch January 2025

Global healthcare leaders identify 5 Steps to designing effective therapeutic gardens

A new study provides guidelines for integrating Therapeutic Hospital Gardens (THGs) into hospital care. Gardens promote holistic care by providing sustainable and restorative environments. When done well, these outdoor spaces have the power to reduce stress, enhance patient recovery, improve staff satisfaction, and foster social connectedness. 

This study examines the experiences of 12 global healthcare leaders who successfully implemented THGs and developed the THG Healthcare Decision-maker Guidelines, providing five practical steps for designing and establishing these gardens.

Among findings, the research shows that gardens must be well-integrated into hospital clinical treatment plans. Success is in addressing the physical, emotional, and social needs of patients, staff, and visitors. 

The research focuses on THGs for Western style hospitals in high density urban areas. The findings have come through interviews with experts in healthcare design, healthcare governance and clinical health. 

Including patients in the stakeholder consultation would be the next stage of research.

Sustainable Health and Well-Being: Guidelines for Integrating Therapeutic Gardens for Holistic Hospital Care

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Marche Arboretum, a new ‘museum’ of plants in Belgium

Wallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki takes a tour of Belgium’s new Marche Arboretum. Marche-en-Famenne is a plant ‘museum’ which has been many years in the making in the region of Wallonia, led by dendrologist Philippe de Spoelberch. 

Spoelberch started informally planting trees on his family estate in 1966, and now dedicates his time to the scientific field of botany. Speaking about the new Arboretum, Spoelberch said ‘I don’t want this to become a “Disneyland”, but rather a key scientific tool for botany’.

Read the full Wallpaper article about the origins and plantings of the Arboretum.