Therapeutic Horticulture Program
Our Grow Program is open to people of all ages and abilities.
We use therapeutic horticulture principles to provide opportunities for experiential learning and positive personal development.
Participants primarily work outdoors alongside our highly qualified multidisciplinary team of staff and volunteers, developing confidence and resilience while engaging in meaningful activities.
Strongly embedded in our garden environment, our Grow Program offers a diverse range of interesting and engaging developmental opportunities for participants each week.
Each day typically starts with the morning meeting where staff and participants will plan activities for the day. All activities are tailored to the needs and goals of our participants and might involve a wide range of garden activities including:
- propagation
- potting up
- weeding
- watering
- fertilizing
- pruning
- garden & centre maintenance
- composting
- nursery duties
Our garden-based programs at Doncaster are also complemented by a vibrant ‘specialist program’ which features a weekly timetable of personal development and special interest sessions.
These change from time-to-time according to the interests of our participants but currently include literacy, social skills, ‘let’s get physical’ and art.
At our Coburg site, the Grow Program introduces Participants to a range of beneficial garden-based activities which contribute to the unique projects taking place on site. Growing food plants for the kitchen, producing plants for the nursery and essential garden maintenance are all regular themes of the Grow Program at Peppertree Place.
Coburg also offers a popular Café Program in which participants learn basic food preparation, barista skills, team-work and customer service in order to develop skills and gain experience in these areas.
Watch our short film
Over 50 years of international research has proven that a connection to nature is vital for human health and well-being. Our activities promote social inclusion, resilience, confidence, laughter and friendship.
At Kevin Heinze Grow, everyone can benefit from therapeutic horticulture.