Spring is upon us, and our greenhouses are bursting with beautiful colors to bedazzle our customers with. We are here to help beautify the world one plant at a time. RCOP takes pride in supplying beautiful healthy plants to meet all our customers’ needs. The ability to grow plants and work among them is very satisfying to the soul. A bit of “Horticulture Therapy” for our employees you might say.

Horticulture Therapy is not something new, the healing elements of nature have been a vital tool in mental health therapy as far back as 2000 BC. In the 1800’s, gardens were being introduced to jails and hospitals for the tranquil setting it provided the residents and inmates with. In the 19^th century Dr. Benjamin Rush reestablished Horticulture Therapeutic programs here in United States. Bringing people back to nature and working with plants was a way of rehabilitation for the body, mind, and spirit.

There are diverse ways of how Horticulture therapy is used today. Therapeutic horticulture can be used in healthcare settings for rehabilitation of wounded, people in elder care facilities and those suffering with mental illness. Social Horticulture is a way of gathering people together, participating in community gardens and Garden clubs. Vocational horticulture can be used in programs for people with disabilities, rehabilitation centers, schools, and jails. Gardening and just being in nature can be a benefit for every lifestyle.

The staff at RCOP is here to help our customers incorporate beautiful plants into workplaces and public places so everyone can enjoy the benefits of being in a calm state of mind, a reward that beautiful plants give us.

If you would like to read more on the use of Horticulture Therapy and its uses, click the links below.

Together we can make a difference and continue the healing.

https://ahta.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/final_ht_position_paper_updated_409.pdf

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1208/