The Therapeutic Benefits of Raised Garden Beds

The science is in. Horticultural therapy is proven to reduce stress and pain, alleviate depression and increase focus. Gardening helps people connect to living things, nurture and relax. But how well do Vegepods stack up as therapeutic tools? The pod team partnered with Joanne Aquilina, founder of Therapeutic Gardening Australia, to find out.

Vegepods For Therapeutic Gardening - Little Space is Needed

Vegepods are no more than 2 metres in height and 0.5 to 2 metres in width. This makes them ideal for balconies, small courtyards, patios and decks. Retirees who are living in aged care facilities can place pods on their limited lots. City slickers, tired of spending all day in an office, can actively garden. Aquilina notes “In today’s modern urban environments, many of us don’t have access to a garden but with the Vegepod almost anyone can participate in active gardening.”

Perfect for Seated Gardeners

The height of a Vegepod stand is no more than 55 cm, making the top of the bed 80 cm. This makes them ideal for those in a wheel chair, or for those who are less physically mobile. The steel stands are also powder coated and have lockable castor wheels, enabling both mobility and safety. Indeed, Aquilina and Vegepod founders are currently working together to determine the configurations of Vegepods that are best suited for a wheel chaired person. In hort therapy terms, it’s a big step if gardening can empower our less mobile gardeners.

Low Maintenance

Vegepods have a self-watering system that means they can be unattended for weeks at a time. Similarly, the eco-climate covers allow air and water to penetrate, creating a micro-climate that accelerates plant growth with little effort. The commercial grade crop cover mesh also works to keep pests at bay. As Aquilina points out, this low maintenance system "Allows those with irregular health, travel commitments, or limited time to be confident that their plants will thrive, even when not attended. What do you think? Would you buy a Vegepod for a loved one who could use it? Vegepod is a member of Cultivate NSW and would love to know what you think. To find out more info on Vegepods uses as a therapeutic gardening tool, you can head over to Therapeutic Gardening Australia. They’ve written a special blog, all about our pods’ hort therapy advantages. Please also stay tuned coming up for more info about our wheelchair friendly Vegepods.