The Sensory Garden at St. John Neumann Nursing Home in Philadelphia is one of many therapeutic designs by Design for Generations, a firm based in Medford, New Jersey, and headed by landscape architect Jack Carman.Ninja master, bed tester, tequila taster … and then there’s horticultural therapist. The landscaping profession was given a nod in a recent list of “almost-too-awesome-to-be-true” jobs compiled by Refinery29, a newsletter-format website that covers lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and beauty.
“To us, the ideal career is one with flexible hours, abundant opportunities for travel and the freedom to pursue our passions,” wrote the article’s author, Venus Wong. “But what exactly might such a job look like for people with varying interests?”
The list includes ninja master, hotel test sleeper, cuddler-for-hire and Tequilier (a blend of the words “tequila” and “sommelier”), among others. Horticultural therapist made the list, because, “It’s almost like being a Plant Whisperer, but also improving lives in the process,” the article says.
According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), the therapeutic benefits of garden environments, which have been documented since ancient times, include improved memory, cognitive abilities, task initiation, language skills and socialization. Horticultural therapy has also been shown to help in physical rehabilitation by strengthening muscles and improving coordination, balance and endurance.
The article says the average salary range for a horticultural therapist is $25,000 to $63,000 a year. It was one of the higher-paying jobs on the list. Ninja master was the lowest-paying, with a starting hourly wage of about $6.35 to $8.50.
