Rehab in the Garden: Movement Therapy Without the Workout Feel

When the thought of more standard based rehab feels more like a chore than a choice, a

simple raised planter and a pair of gardening gloves can offer a meaningful gateway into movement, gently introducing people with mobility challenges to rehabilitation through purposeful, graded activity.

For anyone that is thinking of doing this, here is the process we undertook:

When we found the planter, it seemed to be overgrown and unloved. It was clogged with perennials, which only provided coverage through part of the year. This was mainly a bland blanket of geraniums and really it would be dead looking in the winter. We started by pulling out the perennials, and the wheelchair was positioned directly in front of the planter to allow standing (with the edge of the planter held onto for support).

Rubble bags were used to transport garden waste and while the patient could not carry these walking themselves, they held them on their lap while being pushed in the wheelchair to the bins, engaging them in as much of the process as possible.

Then we needed to source plants. Getting people with mobility problems out into the community including to garden centres can be a bit of a logistical minefield. It is not a given people can get in and out of standard cars and vans so in this case, we organised accessible transport. These mini-buses have the facility to get the wheelchair into the vehicle via lift, and secure it to the floor. We also had to consider things like: how far away the nearest garden centre was; bathroom needs/access; and factor in timings of meal provision.

While we were there, we did have a great time, and staff were really helpful offering to carry plants back to transport for us and friendly in the café. Being out in the community provides an opportunity to speak with more people, including members of the public, garden centre workers and the ambulance transport team. The outing also prompted recall of memories when travelling through the town. 

When back, we left the plants in their pots and decided provisionally where we would plant them, and this was left for another day. Unfortunately, in this instance, on review visit the weather really wasn’t suitable for an older person with medical issues to be out in and the plants (which needed put in the soil) had to be done for them. However, the end result was lovely and the lady could view it from her window.

This work helped introduce exercise into the weekly routine and was a stepping stone to consistently undertaking more standard rehabilitation which we will have to concentrate on now especially as the winter autumn/weather is coming in.

It is also worth mentioning, some local authority sheltered accommodations are not able to provide maintenance of planters anymore. As such, residents may benefit from help to maintain planters, which can typically sit in the direct viewpoint from their apartment windows.

Is Gardening under the remit of Physiotherapy?

Although unusual, helping someone with gardening arguably sits within the Physiotherapy clinical practice pillars. 

Gardening involves functional exercise:

• Standing balance and weight-bearing through the legs.

• Arm and hand strengthening while digging or weeding.

• Trunk rotation and postural control.

• Cardiovascular and endurance benefits (light to moderate physical activity).

Working with older populations, there can typically be a need for manual and therapeutic handling approaches to help with any standing transfers and activity of gardening itself (and Physiotherapists can meet this need).

Additionally, it is a functional and meaningful activity which can be incorporated into rehabilitation and absolutely help with confidence, independence and mental well-being.

References:

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). 2020. Terminology of ‘four pillars’ is updated. Available at: https://www.csp.org.uk/news/2020-12-02-terminology-four-pillars-updated (Accessed: 9 October 2025).