GARDEN THERAPY: HOW TO USE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE TO INFLUENCE MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE WAR?

One of the most relevant topics for Ukraine today is a person’s ability to mentally and physically recover after experiencing traumatic events as a result of the war. The presented study substantiates the potential of a garden as a therapeutic space for restoring a person’s mental health. The aim of the article is to determine the landscape planning techniques that should be applied when designing a therapeutic garden for people affected by war. As an example of the use of modern landscape architecture tools for therapeutic purposes, the design concept for arranging a therapeutic garden on the territory of a military hospital in Lviv is described, developed in 2024 by associate professors of Urban Planning and Design Department of Lviv Polytechnic National University Yaryna Onufriv and Halyna Lukashchuk, as well as a gardener of the Lychakiv district of Lviv Iryna Boyko-Kmet, at the initiative of Ecology and Natural Resources Department of Lviv City Council. The project defines the concept of a "restoration garden" or "therapeutic garden" as a special space that aims to help military personnel and people affected by war improve their psychological state. The project proposal consists of two parts, the first part of the therapeutic garden is intended for recovery through physical activities and contemplation of nature, and the second part is formed as an aromatherapy garden. The result of the study was the disclosure of landscape planning techniques that should be applied when designing a therapeutic garden for people affected by the war. The key problems that are solved by the designed space near the neurological department of Lviv Military Hospital are outlined.