News & Milestones
ASD Program Update: Two Participants Pass the Certified Horticulture Professional Exam
Aug 1st, 2018
Wilmot Gardens is proud to announce that two young scholars who completed the first cycle of the of ASD Job Skills Training Program at Wilmot Gardens, Amy Puccio and Eric […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Monica Marrocco
Aug 1st, 2018
In the summer of 2017, Monica Marrocco, then a sophomore at the University of Florida, was asked by a friend what she wanted to do with her life. Like many […]
Human Health & Plants Research:
Can Plants Help Reduce Stress of Children in Elementary School?
Aug 1st, 2018
Suppose engaging in activities with plants for less than one hour once a week could reduce stress and stress hormone levels in troubled elementary school children. It would be utterly […]
From the Director’s Desk:
Thoughts of a Weed Puller
Aug 1st, 2018
Most of my past messages have addressed activities and events within the gardens, largely after the fact. In this quarterly newsletter, I will draw your attention to a very severe […]
From the Director’s Desk: Thoughts of a Weed Puller
May 1st, 2018
In this issue of our quarterly newsletter, I am pleased to share with you some very exciting news. Arrangements have now been completed for the University of Florida to acquire […]
Under the Glass: News from the Greenhouse
May 1st, 2018
Our spring plant sale was a tremendous success and I have to credit that in large part to the outstanding work our many program groups contributed. Each of our therapeutic […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Erin Alvarez
May 1st, 2018
Native Floridian Erin Alvarez comes from a multi-generational family of gardeners. She describes her relationship with nature as starting “at birth” and has been gardening with her family for as […]
Human Health & Plants Research:
Horticultural Therapy and Schizophrenia
May 1st, 2018
A newly published study in 2018 reported that horticultural therapy (HT) resulted in improvement of the psychopathological status of patients with chronic schizophrenia. A total of 28 schizophrenia patients were […]
ASD Program Update
Jan 31st, 2018
Greetings from the ASD Job Skills Training Program! I began the Fall semester at the National Autism Association Conference in New Orleans. It was an honor of a lifetime to meet […]
Artist in Residence Joins Wilmot Gardens
Jan 31st, 2018
Wilmot Gardens is pleased to announce that Peg Richardson will be joining the team as the first “Artist in Residence”. She has set up a modest studio space and gallery […]
Human Health & Plants Research: What Happens When We View Pictures of Cityscapes and Garden Landscapes?
Jan 31st, 2018
A small study was conducted in Korea with 18 young adults consisting of nine women and nine men. The research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Ray Odeh
Jan 31st, 2018
During high school, in the hopes of qualifying for the Bright Futures scholarship program, Ray Odeh began looking for service opportunities in his local community of Sarasota, Florida. He volunteered […]
From the Director’s Desk: Thoughts of a Weed Puller
Jan 31st, 2018
For many of us 2018 is off to a wet and very chilly start. As I glance across the gardens from the conference center this morning, freeze cloth dominates much […]
Volunteer Spotlight:
John Bean
Oct 31st, 2017
Since joining Wilmot Gardens as a regular volunteer in May of 2016, John Bean has dedicated over 1,000 hours to the improvement and maintenance of the gardens. John now spends […]
Fall 2017 ASD Program Update
Oct 31st, 2017
As the newest member of the Wilmot Gardens team, I feel I’ve found my home. I’ve always felt that nature, particularly water and plants, have a healing power. I’ve witnessed […]
Nature at Work and at Home and Employee Well-being
Oct 31st, 2017
A 2017 study by Korpela and colleagues published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning explored how different forms of exposure to nature at work and at home influenced employee […]
Under the Glass: News from the Greenhouse
Oct 31st, 2017
Despite the persistent warm temperatures in Gainesville, summer has come to an end and we have started our fall programming. It’s been great to see familiar faces as well as […]
From the Director’s Desk: Thoughts of a Weed Puller
Oct 31st, 2017
Hurricane Irma has come and gone and those of us associated with the Wilmot Gardens have been able to breathe a giant sigh of relief. With one but very important […]
Volunteer Spotlight:
Kim Lepore
Jul 28th, 2017
In December of 2013, Kim Lepore was busy finalizing her studies with the IFAS Florida Master Gardener program. At a tabling event focused on connecting burgeoning master gardeners with local […]
Under the Glass: News from the Greenhouse
Jul 28th, 2017
Greetings from the Greenhouse! Once our therapeutic horticulture (TH) programming ends in May, the greenhouse tends to quiet down quite a bit. We still get many summer visitors wandering in […]
Human Health and Plants Research: Health Benefits of Nearby Nature
Jul 28th, 2017
A study published in 2017 by Cox and colleagues, reported remarkable multiple health benefits of nearby nature, such as having a private garden or the amount of neighborhood vegetation cover. […]
From the Director’s Desk: Thoughts of a Weed Puller
Jul 28th, 2017
In 2012, our team at the Wilmot Gardens initiated a patient care program, therapeutic horticulture. Since that time, the program under the direction of Ms. Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl ably assisted […]
Human Health and Plants Research: Horticultural Therapy, Dementia and Mental Health
Apr 28th, 2017
A new study on horticultural therapy (HT) and mental health published in the journal Occupational Therapy in Mental Health in 2017, isn’t a traditional singular study, but a systematic evaluation […]
Diehl Receives Champions for Change Award
Apr 28th, 2017
On April 12, 2017, in coordination with UF Campus Earth Day, Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl, the director of the Therapeutic Horticulture Program at the Greenhouse at Wilmot Gardens, was awarded the […]
Under the Glass: News from the Greenhouse
Apr 28th, 2017
Late winter and early spring are a wonderful time in the greenhouse. First, the temperature inside is warm and a bit balmy, even though the weather on the other side […]