Horticultural Therapy at Ramat Hanadiv

As part of Ramat Hanadiv’s efforts to extend its activities into the surrounding communities, a unique plot of land at Ramat Hanadiv was dedicated to the horticultural therapy project in 2000. This plot of land is designated to provide therapeutic solutions for a range of population sectors and is managed by professional therapists and horticulturists.

Horticultural therapy serves as a unique model that uses plants, horticulture and nature for rehabilitation, education and therapy, in order to bring about an improvement in the participants’ condition and welfare, and assimilate spending time in open landscapes into the life style of the community surrounding Ramat Hanadiv. This field deals with a range of programmes, some in collaboration with schools in the region and some promoting integration of special needs people in community life. The programme ‘Giving in the Garden’ provides opportunities for a range of population sectors with special needs to contribute and benefit, through gardening work and interpersonal meetings with other volunteers and with the horticultural therapy staff. The programme runs on a fixed day of the week for volunteers; it mainly involves gardening in a supportive environment and is suited to a wide range of ages. The working conditions are adapted to different needs, for example raised garden beds that allow easy work without the need for bending over.