Garden Therapy is a method of rehabilitation and psychotherapy that involves caring for plants to restore emotional well-being, improve mental health, and develop social skills. This area of social rehabilitation helps children with developmental, communicative, and social difficulties feel a connection with nature, learn to take care of it and themselves, and overcome isolation and insecurity.

The Garden Therapy program at the Regional Centre “Revival” was introduced back in 2016 with the participation of students from Anglia Ruskin University under the title “A Blooming Country – A Happy Child.” Since then, children in the social rehabilitation department, under the guidance of teachers, have been engaged in plant cultivation and every September they sum up the results of the gardening season.

Today, once again, a warm and inspiring event took place — “Generous Autumn in Our Garden” — organized for the children involved in Garden Therapy. The purpose of the celebration was to encourage children to observe nature, develop an emotional attitude toward work and its results, and give them the opportunity to feel proud of their personal contribution to growing plants.

The event became a true culmination of the fruitful work in the vegetable beds and flowerbeds, which the children carried out together with their teachers throughout spring and summer. The celebration began with a welcoming circle, where each child recalled what they knew about the plants growing in the garden and vegetable patch. At the harvest exhibition, they presented vegetables, flowers, and greens grown in the garden. Everything was arranged in a bright and creative way.

There were also children’s songs and dances about autumn and gardening, along with creative workshops where participants made “fruit men” and “vegetable animals.” Fun games followed: the children guessed vegetables by touch and solved riddles.

The celebration concluded with a friendly fruit tasting.

This festival was not only a joyful event but also an important part of the therapeutic process: the children experienced the results of their work, the joy of interacting with nature, and the support of adults and friends. Garden Therapy is more than just gardening. It is a path to development, trust, calm, and happiness.