Root in Nature

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06/30/2026

What happens when children help shape the therapeutic horticulture process?

They begin to see that their ideas matter. 💡

A child-initiated project might begin with something simple, like a child wondering how potatoes grow.

From there, the practitioner can plan a future session that supports curiosity, participation, responsibility, and therapeutic goals.

Even small opportunities for choice, feedback, and shared decision-making can help children and youth feel valued and meaningfully involved.

In this clip from our new Therapeutic Horticulture with Children & Youth course, Katie McGillivray, HTR explores models of child participation and how to create sessions that are responsive to the children in front of you.

💬 Comment Courses for a link to the course overview page.

06/11/2026

Flower arranging is one of Katie’s favourite therapeutic horticulture activities, and it becomes even more meaningful when the flowers are grown by the participants themselves 🌸

In this video, Katie highlights zinnias, one of her top choices for cut flower gardens thanks to their colour, sturdiness, productivity, and ease of growing.

GrowTH Network members can access the full flower arranging activity plan, including adaptions, modifications and cost-saving tips, in the Activity Database. Comment ‘Growth’ for a link to join and check it out! 🔎

Note: As always, in therapeutic horticulture programs and landscapes, it’s important to assess the level of risk when selecting and using plants to ensure they are appropriate for your participants and setting.

05/28/2026

Part 2: Who else is busy selecting plants and planting in the garden? 🙋‍♀️

Plants like these with vibrant, contrasting leaf patterns and bright, pastel flowers can bring a real sense of wonder to the garden!

Katie McGillivray, Registered Horticultural Therapist and Learning & Community Lead with Root in Nature, shares two favourites for visual impact:

🎨 Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides) — perfect for shaded spots with bold, colourful foliage
🌸 Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora) — a sun-loving burst of bright, cheerful blooms

We talk sensory plants, plant safety and more in both our intro and advanced TH courses. Comment ‘Courses’ for a direct link to check them out!

Note: As always, in therapeutic horticulture programs and landscapes, it’s important to assess the level of risk when selecting and using plants to ensure they are appropriate for your participants and setting.

05/21/2026

Plants that engage the senses support both people and pollinators in powerful ways 🐝

Katie McGillivray, Registered Horticultural Therapist and Learning & Community Lead with Root in Nature, shares two of her favourite sensory plants that are also incredible for pollinators, specifically hummingbirds:

🌻 Cuphea ignea (cigar plant)
🍍 Salvia elegans (pineapple sage)

Sensory plant selection is a core topic we cover in our Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Skills course - comment Advanced to learn more!

Note: As always, in therapeutic horticulture programs and landscapes, it’s important to assess the level of risk when selecting and using plants to ensure they are appropriate for your participants and setting.

05/20/2026

World Therapeutic Horticulture Day has been a beautiful reminder of how many ways this work is showing up around the world! 🌿

We support this growing field by providing accessible TH training for professionals who bring plants and nature into healthcare, long-term care, education, recreation, community programs, disability services, veteran support, and more.

If you’ve been considering one of our courses, this is a reminder that our WTHD25 coupon code expires tomorrow, May 21, at midnight EDT.

The code provides 25% off Root in Nature courses and GrowTH Network memberships as part of our WTHD efforts to expand access to therapeutic horticulture learning and practitioner support.

💬 Explore the course overview through the link in our bio, or comment ‘overview’ and we’ll send you a direct link.

05/05/2026

World Therapeutic Horticulture Day is coming up 18 May 🌱

A reminder worth repeating: therapeutic horticulture is more than just gardening. It can support mental health recovery, healing after bereavement, and rehabilitation after stroke, and it also builds creativity, purpose, teamwork, gentle movement, and empathy.

Want to help spread the message? Share this Reel to show all the ways & places TH can be practised.

Get the WTHD shareable resources on Trellis Scotland’s website. Many thanks to Fiona Thackeray and her team for making these available to all!

04/21/2026

This clip from our Therapeutic Horticulture Foundations & Facilitation course is a reminder that after site viability comes something just as important: participant assessment.

Assessment goes beyond “What can participants do?” It also considers:

💚 What excites participants and what feels personally meaningful
🧠 Cognitive, emotional, social, and physical needs
♿ Accessibility, sensory supports, and adaptive tools for comfort and safety
🌍 Cultural context, traditions, values, communication styles, and lived experience
🗓️ Schedules, preferred times, and transportation realities

When these pieces are understood early, programs become more inclusive, respectful, and genuinely supportive.

💬 Explore our website or comment Foundations and we’ll send a direct link!

04/08/2026

Happy day- we’re now offering multi-currency pricing. 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇦🇺🇪🇺🇸🇬🇬🇧

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Beliveau Street
Ottawa, ON

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