The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Full Bloom Garden Program

Promoting wellbeing and connecting people living with dementia, through the power of plants.

full bloom dementia program
Location

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Date

Term dates are negotiable

Price

$3,000 per 6-week program for up to 10 participants plus their carers

Duration

6 x 2-hour sessions

Contact

[email protected]

Send an email

Create moments of awe, wonder and curiosity while being immersed in nature.

Full Bloom is a six week nature-based program for people living with dementia.

Based at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, program activities are designed to enrich the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of people living with dementia through therapeutic horticulture, immersive walks among the Botanic Gardens' Living Collection, tours from volunteers and First nations educations, and nature-based creative activities. Each session also provides an opportunity for participants and their carers to connect with others, through a shared love of plants, gardening and time spent immersed in nature.

Program bookings are open to dementia care groups and groups include participants living with dementia, carers and appropriate numbers of supervising personnel. The maximum group size is 10 participants plus carers and care facility personnel.

  • flowers and colours close up
    Strolling through the Garden
  • landscapes activity close up
    Exploring plant shapes and textures
  • planting seeds
    Mixing soil and potting succulents
  • firstnations weaving class close up
    Learn how to weave with our First Nations educators
  • storytelling activity close up
    Take inspiration from nature

"By being immersed in nature, walking through our beautiful gardens, learning about plants and animals, doing nature art and much more, Full Bloom participants have increased their physical fitness, improved their mental health and wellbeing, improved their motivation, independence and autonomy as well as created enriched social connections with both other participants, their carers and loved ones."

Dr Sarah Brikke, Community Learning Lead, Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Bright yellow globular flowers, billy buttons

Just to say thanks to everyone who made the Botanic Gardens program possible. My mum Jeanette (84, with moderate dementia) loved walking in new places in the garden and exploring the sights, sounds and textures. She also responded (surprisingly) positively to being among others in a group setting, and smiled and interacted with others. The facilitator/teacher was fantastic, something genuinely for everyone, with no talking down to anyone! We still have the terrarium we made, taking pride of place on the kitchen table at home!

Caroline 

Why Botanic Gardens?

As a safe and accessible way of experiencing green spaces, botanic gardens provide the perfect opportunity to connect people living with dementia and their carers to nature in a meaningful way that meets their needs. 

6-week immersive program

Carefully curated and inspired by emergent research in therapeutic horticulture, each session is designed to build on the previous session. 

Over six weeks, our aim is to gradually increase physical fitness, provide diverse sensory experiences, build confidence in gardening activities and vitally, create space for enriching social connections for participants and carers. 

Term 3 2024

Week 1: Scented Pot-pourri sachets

Discover the calming art of creating a scented pot-pourri sachets in the botanic gardens. A program designed to engage in a sensory-rich experience that promotes relaxation and creativity, surrounded by the natural beauty of the gardens.

Week 2: Mindfulness in the Garden

Experience the tranquillity of mindfulness in the serene setting of the botanic gardens. This program offers gentle, guided mindfulness activities that foster relaxation and connection with nature, enhancing well-being and mental clarity. 

Week 3: Flower Arrangement

Join us for a hands-on a flower arrangement activity that encourages creativity and sensory engagement, providing a soothing and enriching experience amidst the beauty of nature. 

Week 4: First Nations Weaving

Today, we will be focussing on the meditative practice of weaving. This is an opportunity to spend the relaxing afternoon with our First Nations education team and work on fine motor skills. 

Week 5: Garden exploration and building a terrarium

Today is all about exploring the garden! We’ll use our senses to explore the peace, diversity and beauty of the garden learning about what these plants need to thrive before building our very own fern-filled terrarium to take home. 

Week 6: Nature craft

Immerse yourself in a nature craft session at the botanic gardens. This program fosters creativity, imagination and engagement through hands-on projects using natural materials, providing a therapeutic and enjoyable experience in a tranquil garden setting.     

Term 4 2024

Week 1: Habitats

Today we are celebrating habitats! We will go on a walk through the garden and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while contributing to a greater awareness of the need to protect our world’s habitats.

Week 2: Water play

Let’s celebrate National Water with a special Water Play session. This unique program aims to highlight the importance of water while providing a calming and enjoyable experience for participants. Participants will enjoy and explore water-related art and sensory stations. 

Week 3: Garden in a jar

Join us at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney and create your own garden in a jar! This hands-on activity provides a soothing and engaging way to connect with nature, fostering creativity and sensory stimulation. Create a little, personal and portable piece of nature to take home and cherish, while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of this unique activity. 

Week 4: First Nations program

Join us for this unique program.

Week 5: Botanical tie dye

Discover the vibrant world of natural colours at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney with our special Botanical Tie-Dye session. This creative and therapeutic activity offers a unique way to engage with nature through art. Participants will use plant-based dyes extracted from flowers, leaves, and other natural materials to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind tie-dye fabrics. 

This hands-on activity is tailored to be simple and enjoyable, allowing everyone to experience the joy of artistic expression. The process of folding, tying, and dyeing fabric provides sensory stimulation and encourages creativity.

Week 6: Nature Art

Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature with our Nature Art session at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. This relaxing and creative activity invites participants to explore and interact with natural materials to create unique artworks. 

This process encourages sensory and artistic exploration, stimulates imagination, and fosters a sense of connection with nature and community. Take home your masterpiece as a cherished reminder of this enriching experience.