Understanding the emotional and psychological benefits of healing gardens, the nursing home where Mary lived featured a beautiful, lush outdoor space filled with trees, flowers and water.

Nonverbal and living with Alzheimer’s, Mary’s caregiver gently took her by the elbow to guide her outside to enjoy the spring day from the garden’s patio. Standing next to the garden’s water feature, a self-contained unit that recirculates water and is safe for residences with dementia patients, Mary turned to her caregiver after a few minutes, with a smile on her face, simply stated, “Isn’t that beautiful,” – the first words she had spoken in over a year.

Quite frankly, water reaches people in ways that nature’s other elements simply cannot. We intuitively find water soothing. It reduces stress and promotes healing, both physically and psychologically.

While middle aged adults seek quiet in gardens, older adults tend to respond more to stimulating environments, according to a 2009 study from Susan Rodiek of Texas A&M. Featuring water as an integral part of your therapeutic garden is one way to meet the emotional needs of these older adults. Then, they could listen to water bubbling out of a fountain or feel a cool mist from a small pond gently brush their face.

More fully engaging people’s senses through the use of water helps to immerse them in their experience, allowing them to reap even more benefits from your therapeutic garden.