The origin of everything always has a reason, just the way all of our actions have a motivation. Whether based in a real necessity or only a desire of something superfluous, there is always a thought or an emotion that generates the tangible reality of what we create. The seed of inception of Villa d’Este …
There is an exponential growth of chronic diseases, especially in the elderly(1). As the Dr.Howard Koh and Dr.Anand Parekh explain, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is re-thinking ways to treat chronic disease and launching innovative care delivery models. How all this can be related to the presence of gardens in healthcare settings? Simply …
Research shows that gardening activities and spending time in therapeutic gardens have the potential to reduce the risk of developing dementia and improve the quality of life of persons with dementia. Challenging activities that require fluid thought processing combined with moderate physical activity are more likely to enhance cognitive functioning than routine activities 1. Analysis of a …
Stress experienced during depression paired with the neurological changes that naturally occur during the aging process may accelerate the loss of function and cognition resulting in a declining ability to live independently. A body of research indicating that exercise, exposure to nature and reflection may be effective in reducing the symptoms of depression informed the …
Creating outdoor settings for social support These were the opening words of Total Fitness in the 21st Century Conference at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The conference participants defined “total fitness” and began to identify the quantifiable measures that would help unit commanders to create environments that would promote that total fitness. …
Bromeliads are a great way to add drought tolerant, low maintenance color to your garden. No trimming required! These architectural plants come in a number of sizes and colors that can serve as accent plants, ground covers or mass plantings. There are varieties for both sun and shade. You can plant them in the ground, …
Just a few subtle hardscape details that made a big difference on this recent project. Instead of a plastic drain that cracks over time, this continuous slit drain works seamlessly into the hardscape design. The trough underneath was formed to provide a continuous slope to ensure positive drainage. Want to soften your hardscape with a …
Have a blank outdoor wall that you would like to soften with plants? Studio Sprout has been experimenting with a variety of ways to mount low maintenance air plants to do just that. Air plants don’t require soil and while they do best with some misting and occasional watering (can be from rain), they are …
Studio Sprout has been experimenting with woolly pockets for a couple of years now with great success! Woolly pockets are felt, partially recycled plastic lined planters that can be mounted on walls. The back is plastic lined so that it doesn’t mold on your wall, the front unlined part allows drainage through the felt. We …
There are a thousand ways you can easily give your entry a face lift with unique pottery and plants. A recent Wall Street Journal article about the trend of individualizing residential entries with special pots and plants was substantiated by the recent Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association plant show in Orlando. Here is what we …