Rutgers Horticultural Therapy Program in the News

Haupt, A. (2023, March). Your houseplants have some powerful health benefits. Time.

Onque, R. (2022, September). 48% of people talk to their plants and it might be making them happier, according to a new survey. CNBC Make It.

Sunday Morning Radio Show (2022, September) Gary Altman – Pants and happiness. Radio New Zealand.

Chang, R. (2022, June). Eight best easy-care plants for the office according to plant experts. The Wall Street Journal.

Radio Times (2022, May). The regional roundup: May 9, 2022. WHYY.

Samson, J. (2021, June). The power of plants: gardens help stoke survivors find healing. Montgomery Magazine.

Backus, E., & Barber, I. (2021, February). The Ah-Ha Moment: Gary Altman. The AH-Ha Moment Podcast.

Fitzpatrick, F. (2020, July). A bumper crop of home gardens blossoms amid a pandemic. The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Esguerra del Monte, P. (2020, May). "How ‘plant parenting’ can aid in coping amid the pandemic". CNN Philippines.

Foglesong, H. (2020, May). The benefits of plant therapy. The List.

Pawlowski, A. (2020, January). How to handle work stress: Adding a desk plant can reduce anxiety. Today.

Pirie, K. (2019, July). 8 Healthy Benefits of Plants, According to Horticulture Experts. Prevention.

Hickey, K. (2019, September). The Research Is In: Yes, Gardening Totally Counts as Exercise. Mbgplanet.com.

The Montgomery News: Plants, Parks, and Mental Health

December 29, 2021

"Plants have a physiological effect of lowering blood pressure, improving breathing, and, that in turn, has an effect on your mental health," said Rutgers Horticultural Therapy Program Director Gary Altman.

According to Rutgers University Professor of Horticultural Therapy and Agricultural Extension Agent Joel Flagler: "For centuries we've known that there is a close link between working with plants and improved mental health."

Civil Eats: Planting a Life—and a Future—After Prison at Benevolence Farm

September 30, 2021

"Plants are non-judgmental," Flagler says. "Plants will respond to any caregiver."

EXPLORATIONS: Acclaimed Program Grew From Seed Planted Over 50 Years Ago

Summer 2021

The Horticultural Therapy program at Rutgers blossomed from alum Joel Flagler's (Cook '74) undergraduate inspiration and the support he received along the way, writes EXPLORATIONS, the George H. Cook Campus Magazine.

The Guardian: Gardening Trend That Bloomed during the Pandemic Is Here to Stay

"There are certain very stabilizing forces in gardening that can ground us when we are feeling shaky, uncertain and terrified. It's these predictable outcomes and predictable rhythms of the garden that are very comforting right now," Joel Flagler, a professor of plant biology at Rutgers University, told Agweek Magazine.

NWF.org: Seeds of Recovery

April 2021

"WHEN JOEL FLAGLER TAKES ON new clients, many are dubious at first. "They haven't had gardening experience, and they're sure that any seed we give them won't grow," says the Rutgers University horticultural therapy professor. But as their seeds germinate and develop into thriving plants, "it demonstrates that a person’s actions can make a difference," he says. "Having success with plants, we find, can help our clients deal better with other issues in their lives," including cancer, strokes and addictions."

CNN: Gardening becomes healing with Horticultural Therapy

August 2018

"The clients" are the caretakers, and that's an important role for people who are on the receiving end of medical care," said Joel Flagler, a professor of horticultural therapy at Rutgers University. Studies have found that horticultural therapy supports recovery and improves mood, resulting in shorter stays for many populations, such as mental health facilities and hospitals."

US in the News: 7 ways Trendy Plants may Help your Health

October 2018

"Gerbera daisies, bamboo palms and "dumb cane" or dieffenbachia, too, are among "the very best at enriching the indoor atmosphere and filtering out toxins, while also giving our brains a beautiful set of leaves to look at," says Joel Flagler, a registered horticultural therapist, Rutgers University professor and agricultural extension agent. "We do respond to the patterns and the presence of tropical plants as feel-good benefits." Some tropical varieties, like snake plants, have leaves that although visually striking, appear more blade-like than rounded and graceful."

"There's nothing like a flower in bloom, because the sheer aesthetic is so stimulating, beautiful and captivating," says Flagler, who grows orchids in his home and provides horticultural therapy to people in many settings. "Flowers can draw someone's attention, and provide a sense of wonder that really transcends their disability or pain."