A Garden Brings More than Plants to a Psychiatric Unit

It helps patients connect with nature to manage mental health

Man and woman standing among plants in an indoor garden
At Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Annabel Renwick, PhD, garden curator, and Dr. Christian Goodwin, a psychiatry resident, take advantage of a rarity in psychiatric care: a built-in hospital garden that helps patients connect with nature to manage mental health.

This is a summary of a story by Susan Gallagher on Duke University School of Medicine.

At Duke Behavioral Health North Durham, hospitalized patients have helped to plant and grow flowers and greenery in what were once unused raised beds. Now two outdoor terraces are dotted with purple pansies, orange snapdragons and yellow daffodils – turning the area into a place for healing and connection.

The initiative began with a behavioral health technician and master gardener who tended the plots first on his own and then with the help of patients. It eventually grew into a structured program. With support from a Duke Psychiatry Educational Seed Grant and cross-disciplinary collaboration, patients now help maintain the garden through a range of activities.

Research underscores the impact gardening can have on people’s mental health. In a review of nature-based interventions, 98 percent of studies showed positive outcomes such as improved mood, self-esteem, and self-confidence, as well as decreased mood disturbances, agitation, and behavioral problems.

Behavioral health staff have observed these benefits as patients experience moments of joy and healing while tending to the garden.

A video accompanying the story highlights these outcomes. “Being able to care for something else while you’re being cared for is incredibly valuable,” said psychiatry resident Christian Goodwin.

To watch the video and learn more about the initiative, visit Duke University School of Medicine.