The Defence Gardens Scheme (DGS) is a national network of gardens which hosts the delivery and evaluation of nature-based therapy for Armed Forces Service Leavers and Veterans and their families. DGS was founded in 2019 by Colonel (retd) Sally Coulthard MBE CF FRSA, and the evidence based DGS programme is underpinned by her research for an MSc in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture, and in the US and Denmark gathered during a Churchill Fellowship.
DGS works in partnership with veterans’ charities, military units, community mental health service providers, and gardening projects to develop, deliver, and evaluate nature-based therapy. We run 10-week programmes of ‘Social and Therapeutic Horticulture’ as a focused application of nature-based therapy for service leavers and veterans and their families throughout the U.K.
Nature Based Therapy for the Armed Forces Community
The term Social and Therapeutic Horticulture is used to describe the use of plants and gardens to improve physical and mental health, as well as communication and thinking skills. This isn’t something new. In Ancient Egypt, doctors prescribed garden walks for those suffering from “mental disturbance.” However, it is becoming increasingly more mainstream as evidence shows the benefits of gardening and nature on our physical and mental health. As well as green/nature-based prescriptions, which is giving patients a written recommendation to spend time outside for heart disease to depression.
Small group therapy delivered outdoors is ideally suited to the military community. The military is trained to work as teams and strong ties are highly developed precisely because they are needed to work together in hostile conditions.
DGS operates on a regional ‘Hub and Spoke’ model of community-based mental health care. Here in Scotland, the Hub is in West Lothian at Linburn Walled Garden, where we work in partnership with Cyrenians and Sight Scotland Veterans. This site has a long connection with the military, which makes it an ideal location. The first Spoke Garden is being developed in conjunction with Veterans Housing Scotland at the Salvesen estate near Edinburgh.
A Typical Programme
A typical programme is a balanced blend of practical garden skills, which can depend on the garden and interests of the group, as well as support for common and more severe mental health symptoms. For example, the Spring 2023 programme at Linburn focused on growing vegetables and the cost-of-living crisis, and alongside learning about gardening, reflection, mindfulness, and mindful journaling was introduced to participants. The journal is where the writer expresses themselves for the benefit of healing and growth by committing their thoughts and feelings to paper. In essence, giving a voice to feelings and emotions that may have nowhere to go or unable to express them verbally. One participant took to having a drawing of the week to express what he had done at that week’s session.
At a recent session, we planted sweet pea seeds as they’re a great metaphor for the programme – sweet peas seeds have a hard seed coat, which needs to be broken before it can grow. This can be likened to a veteran closing off all their emotions from their experiences of active service. The seeds are also planted deeply, which can be likened to burying mental health issues. With watering, they will begin to grow, unlike using alcohol when we have buried emotions or untreated mental health conditions. The watering in the course itself gives the participants a chance to grow and bloom. Sweet peas need support to grow, which is where the military comradery and work of the social and therapeutic horticulturist come in. Veterans understand metaphors, making them an ideal way to explain things in ways to which they can relate.
Further Information
If you or someone you know would be interested to learn more, please find further details at https://defencegardens.org/scotland
Registrations for Open Days and programmes or to visit the Linburn garden please contact richardhenderson@cyrenians.scot
To contact DGS, please email info@defencegardens.org