Horticultural Therapy Center

A horticulture therapist helps patients reconnect to nature’s pace and beauty

Getting well doesn’t just happen from a hospital bed or inside a gym. Sometimes, letting patients get back to nature is the key to physical and psychological recovery. At Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in Malvern, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, we offer horticultural therapy, an innovative treatment that uses plants and plant-related activities to assist people with disabilities or traumatic injuries who are recovering at Bryn Mawr Rehab. Patients benefit from working with a horticulture therapist who takes a creative approach to rehabilitation, providing a change of pace and scenery to aid in recovery.

Person joyfully at work watering some of the plants found in the Sydney Thayer III Horticultural Center at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital

Horticulture therapy program stimulates meaningful activity and engagement

The Sydney Thayer III Horticultural Center at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility with cathedral ceilings, skylights and a large greenhouse that radiates peace and beauty. Working with a registered horticulture therapist you’ll enjoy activities like:

  • Starting seeds
  • Watering or repotting plantings
  • Working with fresh flowers
  • Arranging, drying and pressing flowers
  • Outdoor gardening (when weather permits)

Your therapy team will also include physical, occupational, recreational and speech therapists who will help you work toward your therapy goals while enjoying practical activities in a group setting or individually. Working with plants, you can improve mobility, coordination, balance, endurance, memory and socialization skills in a natural, therapeutic setting.

The horticulture therapy program benefits a wide range of people, from those managing a lifelong disability to those recovering from a serious injury. People of all ages can easily participate in greenhouse activities, naturally improving physical and social skills. Our specially designed greenhouse includes extra wide aisles and non-skid floors to accommodate those in wheelchairs. In horticultural therapy, patients share a meaningful activity with others in an effective, creative and flexible treatment platform.

Related specialties

Stroke Rehab

Inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation treatment and complex stroke treatment. We develop a unique stroke rehab therapy plan that help patients immediately build on their strengths and learn to compensate for limitations.

Pain Management

Our pain management program includes a range of therapeutic techniques, whether you need chronic back pain treatment or relief from pinched nerves. We also draw on integrative medicine approaches to complement traditional pain therapies to give you the safest, most effective results.

Driver Rehab

Independence is a major goal of every rehabilitation program. For over 30 years, the driver rehabilitation program at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital has offered a unique way for patients to return to this crucial aspect of their lives.

Concussion Rehab

One of the first acute rehabilitation hospitals in the country to provide treatment for brain injury, we’re recognized as a leader in the field of concussion treatment and recovery.

Speech Therapy

Our multidisciplinary approach to inpatient and outpatient speech therapy rehab includes expert diagnosis and treatment of speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders led by master’s-level, licensed and certified speech pathologists.

Medical Rehabilitation

Combining medical practice with therapeutic rehabilitation, the inpatient medical rehab program supports patients with a wide range of acute or chronic conditions that cause temporary or permanent disability. Our goal is always to help patients regain as much independence as possible.

Aquatic Therapy

Through the aquatic therapy program at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, warm water helps patients relax, enhances functional movement, and boosts confidence and ability.

Lymphedema Management Program

Our lymphedema therapists help you achieve best results early and with continued treatment at outpatient locations in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. Even in cases of chronic lymphedema, an active management program can reduce swelling and improve symptoms.