Horticultural Therapy Week NJ

“Horticultural Therapy Week NJ” Congressional Proclamation and Citation Awarded to Horticultural Therapist at Somerset County Freeholders

In recognition of New Jersey Horticultural Therapy Week March 18th to 24th, a Congressional Proclamation from Congressman Leonard Lance, R-7 and a Citation to Horticultural Therapist, Laura DePrado, member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association, and a Proclamation by the Somerset County Freeholders were presented on March 13th at a meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.   New Jersey Horticultural Therapy Week” celebrates increasing public awareness of the importance of horticultural therapy in improving the quality of life for all, and to increase opportunities for each individual to experience the endless benefits of the people-plant Connection.   DePrado was cited with Commendations and Praise for published article in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture and commitment in raising awareness to Horticultural Therapy.  National Horticultural Therapy Week was established by Congress for the year 2006 to coincide with spring and the Vernal Equinox.  New Jersey is the first and only state to designate a week every year through bipartisan Resolution #12 Co-Sponsored by Senator “Kip” Bateman, R-16, and Senator Joseph Vitale, D-19, and spearheaded by DePrado.

Horticultural Therapy is the time proven practice of utilizing the therapeutic benefits of working in a peaceful garden environment and using horticulture as modality to improve quality of life.  It is practiced through social, vocational and therapeutic programs and successfully empowers individual to achieve their maximum independence in settings such as rehabilitative, hospitals, senior centers, residential, and schools.

Horticultural Therapy brings dignity and enhanced skills by helping individuals such as those recovering from illness, or injury, the elderly, socially disadvantaged, and individuals with disabilities.  Horticultural Therapy is unique in that it uses seasonally-related plant material to connect people in purposeful and meaningful activities with goals and objectives for individuals and client groups.  It is the “process” in the connection that offers the benefits.  Horticultural Therapy is a vehicle to meet wide ranging goals. The evidence-base of Horticultural Therapy designs and programs can offer cognitive, social and physical benefits with year-round application indoors and outdoors.

Horticultural Therapy gained prominence in the United States in rehabilitating wounded veterans of World War II through the assistance of volunteers and trained professionals and continues today in Veterans hospitals across the country, and brings dignity and enhanced skills by helping individuals such as those recovering from illness or injury, the elderly, socially disadvantaged individuals and individuals with disabilities.  

The American Horticultural Therapy Association, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3), provides opportunities for registered horticultural therapists to share research, and best practices. Awareness of the growing profession of horticultural therapy is being realized through increasing educational opportunities, beginning with the first MS degree in horticultural therapy, awarded by Michigan State University in 1955, and continuing across the country, and through horticultural therapy certificate programs.  Horticultural therapy was practiced by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.    

Photo 1 Courtesy Somerset County Freeholders

New Jersey Horticultural Therapy Week March 18 to 24 Celebrates People-Plant Connection

In recognition of New Jersey Horticultural Therapy Week March 18th to 24th, a Congressional Proclamation from Congressman Leonard Lance, R-7 and a Proclamation by the Somerset County Freeholders were presented on March 13th at a meeting of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  (Left to right)New Jersey Nursery Landscape Association President, Jack Otterbein, Somerset County Business Partnership CEO, Mike Kerwin, (front), Somerset County Freeholder Director Patrick Scaglione, Healthier Somerset Mental Health Advisory Board, Candice Deglon, Managing Director, Anew Wellness, American Horticultural Therapy Association Registered Horticultural Therapist Laura DePrado, New Jersey Agricultural Society, Former Assemblywoman Donna Simon, Carrier Clinic Board member,  Carrier Clinic Vice President Administrative Services Trish Toole, Assemblyman DiMaio District 23 Legislative Aide, Joan Biondi.  Not shown, NJ Farm Bureau President Ryck Suydam.



Photo 2 Courtesy Somerset County Freeholders

Congressional Citation Awarded to Horticultural Therapist

Congressional Citation in Commendations and Praise from Congressman Leonard Lance R-7, was awarded to Somerset County Horticultural Therapist Laura DePrado, HTR, American Horticultural Therapy Association, New Jersey Agricultural Society, President  Final Touch Plantscaping, LLC, Branchburg, at the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders March 13th for published article “Raising the Awareness of Horticultural Therapy with the Seed of “National Horticultural Therapy Week and Roots of New Jersey Agriculture” in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture and commitment in raising awareness to Horticultural Therapy.  National Horticultural Therapy Week was established by Congress for the year 2006 to coincide with spring and the Vernal Equinox.  Horticultural Therapy Week in the Garden State is March 18 to 24.  New Jersey is the first and only state to designate a week every year through bipartisan Resolution #12, Co-Sponsored by Senator “Kip” Bateman, R-16, and Senator Joseph Vitale, D-19 and spearheaded by DePrado.

Please visit our National Horticultural Therapy Week Page to see what other organizations are doing to celebrate National Horticultural Therapy Week

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