At the end of the day, after getting lots of great project ideas from attending a Horticultural Therapy course offered by Mitchell Hewson at the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, I was fortunate to find myself at the on-site labyrinth with the late afternoon light just right and a backdrop of golden fall colours. There was a crispness in the air as I walked around the labyrinth quickly to keep warm and took in the fragrance of the Mother of Thyme which forms the outline of the labyrinth, following the Chartres Cathedral design. The labyrinth was designed by Virginia Burt of Visionscapes Landscape Architects Inc., a Canadian leader in healing garden design.

Located at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, this is an outdoor grass labyrinth following the Chartres Cathedral design. There is something very special about the simple landscaping of this labyrinth that regenerates a common grass field into a sacred space. At this time of year, I found myself very aware of my surroundings as I traveled around the path and took in the fall views in all directions. The heart of the labyrinth is enclosed in a circle of tall grasses. A solitary wooden chair awaits at the centre for contemplation before continuing the journey out.

Above we have a unique boat design for a raised bed which includes a ledge for sitting. To the right we have a square raised bed. These beds, planted with native plants, are part of Ecology Park Community Garden in the Annex neighborhood (Madison and Spadina), Toronto. The revitalized space is a volunteer project of the Annex Residents’ Association with support from the City of Toronto.

Guide: Philip Spring (H.T.T.), responsible for the horticultural therapy program

(Left) This is a secure garden space in a courtyard area especially designed for patients with dementia who also have challenging behaviors. It is fully wheelchair accessible and includes a beautiful gazebo to offer protection from the sun. There is plenty of seating available, inviting family members and staff to accompany patients in the relaxing environment. Two solariums, located at opposite sides, provide year round indoor viewing of the outdoor space and much needed sunlight during the winter months. Raised beds surround the deck and allow for limited gardening activities where there is interest. Most patients in this section are involved in more passive types of horticultural therapy benefiting from the outdoor environment.

(Right) The open garden area includes a waterfall formed with large flats of rock brought in from Tobermory, Ontario. The water feature, complete with moss, transports visitors temporarily from the concrete hospital environment into a natural setting that stimulates all senses.

Raised beds allow patients to garden comfortably from their wheelchairs. The square design above also includes supported standing room in between the three beds. It is important that all parts of the established bed be only an arm’s length away.

(Right) The traffic areas surrounding these beds are intended to accommodate two wheelchairs.

Throughout the garden private spaces have been established for retreat and include creative points of interest such as a sundial and various sculptures and ornaments. The Zen entrances below opens up onto a secret garden patio.

Words of advice from Mr. Spring: This type of garden is different from a personal home garden or show garden and as horticultural therapists we need to keep in mind that nobody is fooled into believing there are pixies at work overnight rearranging their planting efforts from the daytime. Many patients do not only want a say in the form the garden takes they also want to be actively involved in carrying out the garden activities. This means being given the invitation to plant out a bed as they see best fit.

*After this experience, by chance, I received a postcard from a German artist of a beautiful Labyrinth. The work is entitled Labyrinth: Leben (Labyrinth: Life). For more Labyrinth art visit Aneli’s site.