Healing through Gardening

Rhode Island School of Design, Masters of Interior Architecture

After surgery, patients feel conflicted about the removal of cancerous part of their bodies.

Whether the cancerous parts are organs or parts of tissue, survivors may feel a sense of loss

because parts of their selves are gone or replaced.

Healing is a process and a transitional period. It is a turning point to recovery, the start of a

journey in which survivors resolve fears, achieve self-actualization, gain confidence, and live beyond cancer.

The act of gardening promotes social interaction among cancer survivors.

The relationship between survivor and plant are symbiotic.

Plants need constant support and care. Survivors, through providing that care, gain sense of

accomplishment and self-control, creating a foundation for living beyond fear.

It is a co- creative process, where survivors and nature are essential to each other.