The Rosecrance Healing Garden was recently featured in Daniel Winterbottom and Amy Wagenfeld’s new book entitled Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces. The book, which serves as a practical guide for combining aesthetic s and therapeutic practices, contains a two page spread that praises the efficacy of the garden’s sensory-rich plantings and water fixtures in creating a safe and nurturing environment. For many, the key to recovery is in the garden.
Winterbottom and Wagenfeld delivered a faithful synthesis of the design elements that went into the creation of the crown jewel of the Griffin Williamson Campus. Three stunning and colorful wide angle photographs accompany paragraphs overflowing with imagery. They write, for example, about the feel of the gentle breeze against your skin or the rushing sound of the water as it cascades over the rocks.
The authors recognize the importance of having garden spaces at healthcare facilities. They stress that even the tiniest of natural spaces can help provide patients with the reprieve they need. For many at the Griffin-Williamson Campus, the stress of the recovery process is washed away the moment they step into the Healing Garden. It was designed by Hoichi Kurisu as a quiet, nurturing space where our clients can sit and contemplate life or talk quietly with loved ones and supporters. The sense of calm that the garden exudes is frequently praised by clients and visitors alike.
In the book’s foreword, David Kamp, founding principal of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture speaks about the importance of being connected to nature during times of weakness. “Probably nowhere is the need for a connection to nature more poignant than in time of illness and crisis, where balance and continuity is threatened and our sense of isolation and vulnerability heightened,” he writes. “A growing body of research is confirming that a connection with nature is essential to health and well-being.”
The Rosecrance Healing Garden is a shining example of these ideas made physical, resulting in an engaging, reflective, and serene experience for our clients that puts them on the right path for lasting recovery and continually earns Rosecrance praise and recognition in and beyond the Rockford region.