Krakow opens a therapeutic garden

The new green space stimulates the body to heal itself, using the five senses

Yesterday, 14 June, Krakow unveiled an extraordinary green space in its industrial district Nowa Huta. It's a space, where the healing properties of plants, calm and quiet are mobilised to their full extent. More precisely - the so-called therapeutic garden - is meant to stimulate the body to heal itself, using all five senses.

Using plants to heal is the easiest therapy

The therapeutic garden is the creation of the Greenery Authority of Krakow and has been designed with children in mind. However, it is also suitable for teenagers and adults, as the city website informs.

It is based on two basic branches of therapy and rehabilitation using plants - tree therapy, i.e. stimulating the body to heal itself by being in the presence of trees and shrubs and horticultural therapy (healing through gardening and the use of plants).

The entire garden is divided into five islands, each dedicated to one of the human senses - touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. The idea behind this ordering is that plants can stimulate all of them.

For example, in the touch zone there is vegetation with interesting textures; in the taste zone – a sense path, easily accessible also for wheelchair users. The sense of smell is stimulated by plants selected in such a way that the intensity of smells is growing stronger - users can also rub leaves or petals in their fingers to reveal the smell of essential oils. The recognition of smells can also be an interesting educational game.

Also, the visual stimulation is provided by colourful beds, designed in the form of a colour palette in cool shades - navy blue and dark blue, through purple, red and orange, ending with shades of green.

Finally, in the garden, you can also listen to the sounds of nature (from vegetation and the presence of birds) or create them yourself with the help of instruments, including bamboo and steel tubes.