Gardening May Help Protect the Mind—Now It's Being Prescribed to Dementia Patients

Growing evidence suggests that gardening can help maintain cognitive health and support overall well-being. Now, innovative programs are putting that research into practice—by prescribing garden time to dementia patients through “care farms.”

Marianne Rogstad, a retired grandmother from Norway, spent 50 years as a hotel clerk in Switzerland, thriving on the daily stimulation of languages and diverse cultures. But after moving back to Norway, she was diagnosed with dementia—and found herself cut off from the mental engagement that once enriched her life.

That changed when she joined Impulssenter, a small care farm near Oslo. Founded by the parents of Henreitte Bringsjord, the farm is designed to nurture people's natural impulse to connect, work, and find purpose. For Rogstad, it became a source of renewal, offering meaningful activity and community in place of isolation.

In 2015, Norway emerged as a pioneer in dementia care by launching a national plan that included government-supported daycare initiatives like Inn på tunet—which means "into the yard"—a program centered around therapeutic care farms. As research increasingly highlights the cognitive benefits of working with nature, more communities are embracing gardening as a form of healthcare. These “green prescriptions” are being used to address a wide range of health needs through nature-based, socially-prescribed activities.