Transform Your Yard

WITH

Edible Landscapes, Therapeutic Gardens, and Extrodinary Spaces

What if you could turn your yard into an edible landscape with fruits, vegetables, herbs and beautiful flowers with a comfortable sofa next to a firepit under a pergola? Or imagine walking into your backyard and smell the aroma of lavender, lemongrass or sweet basil, then staring at a beautiful waterfalls creating a natural "white noise" due to the many water droplets hitting different surfaces at various frequencies.

Well, stop dreaming and start planning today!

​​

What Is Edible Landscaping?

​

Edible landscaping, also known as foodscaping, brings more homegrown foods into your life while beautifying your home landscaping. And it’s easier than you think! While a lush green lawn is lovely in its own way, edible landscaping is, as gardening expert Rosalind Creasy says, “a much more noble use of the soil.”​

Edible landscaping is using vegetables, fruits and herbs along with ornamental plants and grasses to landscape your yard. Grounded in the tradition of the Victory Gardens of World War II, edible landscaping allows you to keep your yard green and growing while enjoying a delicious harvest.

Some of the principles used in edible landscape practices include creating a harmonious balance among the components of your garden that will allow you to create an attractive combination of flowers, herbs, and vegetables.​

Keep in mind that the purpose of an edible garden is to create a landscape that is beautiful and productive in all seasons. When creating a new edible garden, you can choose between two approaches: integration or substitution.

​

The integration approach involves keeping the basic layout of your current garden but looking for spaces to fill with edibles.

The substitution approach involves replacing some of your current plantings with edibles.

​

There are innumerable benefits to edible landscaping. The main benefit is getting to use your yard as a productive space to grow nutrient-dense, super local, yummy fruits, vegetables, and herbs. And as with any gardening you do at home, you get to try a range of foods that might not be readily available (or might be very expensive) at your local stores, like turnips and cauliflower, broccoli leaves, nasturtiums, edible flowers, and more.

Understanding Therapeutic Gardening

Therapeutic gardening is a structured, goal‑oriented activity that uses plants and gardening techniques to improve physical, psychological, and social well‑being VCE Publications. It is often used in healthcare, rehabilitation, and community settings to help people of all abilities — from the elderly and disabled to those recovering from illness or trauma — regain strength, confidence, and emotional balance.

Purpose and Approach

Therapeutic gardening is designed to produce positive health outcomes and minimize negative ones. It can be delivered through:

• Horticultural therapy — a trained professional leads planned activities with measurable goals.

• Therapeutic gardens — plant‑dominated outdoor spaces designed to encourage interaction with nature for healing purposes American Horticultural Therapy Association.

The activity anchors individuals in reality by showing them the tangible effects of their care for living plants, which can lead to positive changes in behavior and mood.

Benefits

Research shows therapeutic gardening can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels and activating the parasympathetic nervous system Psychology Today+1.

• Improve mood and self‑esteem through the satisfaction of nurturing plants and seeing their growth.

• Enhance cognitive function and provide a sense of accomplishment.

• Support physical health by encouraging movement, strength, and coordination www.ecotherapyheals.com.

• Foster social connection in community gardens to improve communication and cohesion.
  
  

Types of Therapeutic Gardens

According to the International Journal of Architectural Research, therapeutic gardens can be categorized as www.ecotherapyheals.com:

1. Healing gardens – focus on emotional and mental recovery, often with sensory plant choices and water features.

2. Enabling gardens – emphasize physical recovery and vocational readiness.

3. Meditative gardens – encourage contemplation and relaxation.

4. Rehabilitative gardens – support recovery from injury or illness.

5. Restorative gardens – promote overall restoration of health and well‑being.
   
   

Applications

Therapeutic gardening is used in:

• Hospitals and nursing homes

• Rehabilitation centers

• Schools and prisons

• Community and public gardens
  
  

In short, therapeutic gardening is more than just gardening — it’s a science‑backed, accessible form of therapy that combines the restorative power of nature with purposeful activity to support holistic health.

Transforming Ordinary Yards into Extraordinary Outdoor Spaces

Your front and back yards should be more than just land — they should be living, breathing extensions of your home. At How May I Help You Today, LLC, we design and create extraordinary outdoor spaces that blend beauty, function, and emotion. From welcoming front‑yard gardens to immersive backyard retreats, every project is crafted with intention, creativity, and a deep respect for nature.

We specialize in turning blank spaces into vibrant landscapes, therapeutic gardens, edible plantings, and personalized sanctuaries where families gather, memories grow, and everyday life feels a little more magical. Whether you dream of a peaceful oasis, a bold curb‑appeal transformation, or a backyard that inspires connection and joy, we bring your vision to life with artistry, precision, and heart.

Transformation

Snapshots of our beautiful and creative landscapes.

BEFORE / AFTER

CONTACT

Questions? Reach out anytime, we’re here.

adrianne@howmayihelpyoutoday.org

© 2026. All rights reserved.

973.640.9151