Health & Horticulture Conference

Watch all the speaker presentations from the International Health & Horticulture Conference, hosted by the RHS in 2022, which aimed to positively promote the links between health, wellbeing and horticulture

Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, Research and community presentation

The international Health and Horticulture Conference 2022 was held over two afternoons, on 17 and 18 March, in the RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science at RHS Garden Wisley. This was the first fully hybrid conference with attendees and speakers joining us in person at Wisley and remotely.

The aims of the conference were to positively impact health and wellbeing and to tackle the decline in green space and gardens in the UK.

Promoting specific actions

A follow-up to the 2016 Health and Horticulture Conference in 2022, it aimed to promote specific actions that support healthcare professionals and the Government to increase the use of horticulturally-based health interventions.

These actions are a core part of the RHS Science Strategy and RHS Sustainability Strategy, as well as Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui’s five-year postdoctoral collaborative fellowship with the University of Sheffield.

Professor Alistair Griffiths, during a Q&A session

Panel: Chris Young, Professor Seiko Goto, Dr Robert Zarr, Dr Anna María Pálsdóttir and Angelia Sia

Bringing together key experts

The conference had a total of 259 delegates from more than 155 different organisations and 15 countries across the world (including the UK). Attendees were key stakeholders from public health, science, horticulture, medicine, education, urban planning, design, community activism, and other allied fields.

We hope that the video recordings from the conference are a useful resource for all.

Watch the full playlist of videos

Health & Horticulture Conference agenda

The 2022 Health & Horticulture Conference was opened by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow. The following two afternoons saw key speakers from a range of sectors give talks with specific goals to share knowledge and the newest evidence on the links between health and horticulture, to provide a space for people to meet and network across sectors and organisations, and to draft a roadmap for action.

Health & Horticulture Conference: Day 1 – Thursday 17 March 2022

On the first day of the conference, delegates were given tours of the RHS Garden Wisley Wellbeing Garden and the World Food Garden at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. The afternoon was the split into two parts – click on the links to watch the speakers’ presentations and Q&As on YouTube.

Part 1: Introduction and opening speech

12.30pm: Welcome

  • Professor Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections, RHS

12.35pm: Opening speech

  • Rebecca Pow MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Conservative MP for Taunton Deane
Evidence-based design in landscape and healthcare

12.45pm: Nature experience, restoration, and health and follow up Q&A

  • Professor Terry Hartig, Professor of Environmental Psychology, Institute for Housing and Urban Research & Department of Psychology, Uppsala University

Panel discussion

1.15pm: An international perspective

  • Moderator: Chris Young, Consultant gardening publisher, Dorling Kindersley Publishing
  • Professor Seiko Goto, Professor, School of Environmental Science, Nagasaki University, Japan
  • Dr Robert Zarr, Founder & Medical Director, Park Rx America, USA
  • Dr Anna María Pálsdóttir, Associate professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
  • Angelia Sia, Deputy Director, National Parks Board, Singapore

2.15pm: Refreshment break / networking time – end of part 1

Rebecca Pow MP, opening the 2022 conference

Professor Terry Hartig, Nature experience presentation

Part 2: Healthy places for people

2.35pm: Creating health through nature – now and in the future and follow up Q&A

  • Lord Nigel Crisp, House of Lords

3pm: Why is gardening ‘good’ for the average gardener? and follow up Q&A

  • Dr Ross Cameron, Director of Research, Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield

3.25pm: Research and community – The city and the street and follow up Q&A

  • Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, Wellbeing Fellow, Royal Horticultural Society and University of Sheffield

3.50pm: Refreshment break / networking time / wellbeing garden tour

4.20pm: Landscape design for restorative gardens in healthcare and follow up Q&A

  • Prof Clare Cooper Marcus, Professor Emerita, Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
4.50pm: Close of day 1
  • Prof Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections, RHS

5pm: Networking time / optional Wellbeing Walk in Wisley (gardens open until 6pm) – end of part 2

Dr Ross Cameron’s remote Why is gardening ‘good’ presentation

Professor Clare Cooper Marcus, remote Landscape design presentation

Health & Horticulture Conference: Day 2 – Friday 18 March 2022

On the second day, breakout sessions were held and information from this and the conference will help to refine the Wellbeing research programme and further action to help deliver health and horticulture across the nation. The afternoon was the split into two parts – click on the links to watch the speakers’ presentations and Q&As on YouTube.

Part 1: Partnerships beyond health and horticulture

12.30pm: Introduction to day 2 and summary of day 1

  • Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, Wellbeing Fellow, RHS and University of Sheffield

12.35pm: Community and therapeutic gardening at RHS Garden Bridgewater (part 1 Ozichi Brewster and part 2 Chloe Ellis) and follow up Q&A

  • Ozichi Brewster and Chloe Ellis, Therapeutic Gardener and Horticulturist, RHS

1.15pm: The critical significance of urban form and planning on healthy green spaces and follow up Q&A

  • Professor Hugh Barton, WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments, University of the West of England

1.40pm: Refreshment break / networking time – end of part 1

Part 2: The next three years

2pm: Three-year roadmap activity

  • All attendees participating in breakout groups

4pm: The future and cross-sectoral collaboration and follow up Q&A

  • Professor Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections, RHS

4.30pm: Close day 2 / networking time / optional Wellbeing Walk in Wisley (gardens open until 6pm) – end of part 2

Ozichi Brewster and Chloe Ellis, remote Q&A session

Professor Hugh Barton, Critical significance of urban form presentation

Watch the full playlist of videos

You might also be interested in

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.