The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Full Bloom Garden Program

Promoting wellbeing and connecting people living with dementia, through the power of plants.

full bloom dementia program
Location

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Date

Term dates are negotiable

Thursday's 

 

Price

$3,000 per 6-week program for up to 10 participants plus their carers

Duration

6 x 2-hour sessions

10am – 12pm 

ContactSend an email

Create moments of awe, wonder and curiosity while being immersed in nature.

Full Bloom is a six week nature-based program for people living with dementia.

Based at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, program activities are designed to enrich the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of people living with dementia through therapeutic horticulture, immersive walks among the Botanic Gardens' Living Collection, tours from volunteers and First nations educations, and nature-based creative activities. Each session also provides an opportunity for participants and their carers to connect with others, through a shared love of plants, gardening and time spent immersed in nature.

Program bookings are open to dementia care groups and groups include participants living with dementia, carers and appropriate numbers of supervising personnel. The maximum group size is 10 participants plus carers and care facility personnel.

  • flowers and colours close up
    Strolling through the Garden
  • landscapes activity close up
    Exploring plant shapes and textures
  • planting seeds
    Mixing soil and potting succulents
  • firstnations weaving class close up
    Learn how to weave with our First Nations educators
  • storytelling activity close up
    Take inspiration from nature

"By being immersed in nature, walking through our beautiful gardens, learning about plants and animals, doing nature art and much more, Full Bloom participants have increased their physical fitness, improved their mental health and wellbeing, improved their motivation, independence and autonomy as well as created enriched social connections with both other participants, their carers and loved ones."

Dr Sarah Brikke, Community Learning Lead, Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Bright yellow globular flowers, billy buttons

Just to say thanks to everyone who made the Botanic Gardens program possible. My mum Jeanette (84, with moderate dementia) loved walking in new places in the garden and exploring the sights, sounds and textures. She also responded (surprisingly) positively to being among others in a group setting, and smiled and interacted with others. The facilitator/teacher was fantastic, something genuinely for everyone, with no talking down to anyone! We still have the terrarium we made, taking pride of place on the kitchen table at home!

Caroline 

Why Botanic Gardens?

As a safe and accessible way of experiencing green spaces, botanic gardens provide the perfect opportunity to connect people living with dementia and their carers to nature in a meaningful way that meets their needs.

6-week immersive program

Carefully curated and inspired by emergent research in therapeutic horticulture, each session is designed to build on the previous session. 

Over six weeks, our aim is to gradually increase physical fitness, provide diverse sensory experiences, build confidence in gardening activities and vitally, create space for enriching social connections for participants and carers. 

Spring Season 2025

Week 1: Bees

Buzz into Spring: This Spring you are invited to celebrate some of the Garden’s busiest workers! We will explore why Bees are truly magical creatures worth celebrating! Together, we will engage in a hands-on investigation of our favourite fuzzy pollinators in the Garden and learn about the vital role of bees for ecosystems to thrive. We will finish the program with a hands-on craft activity for you to take home to support the conservation of these essential pollinators in your local community.

Week 2: First Nations session

First Nations program: Message in a stick – Participants will design their very own mobile just like Indigenous people did. Using loose flowers and leaves these can be individually designed exactly how you would like. These practices would be used to send messages like we use our mobile phones now. This can be used for a seasonal change or there might just be a bit of rain coming. However, if we needed to get a message over this how we got our message across. Participants will tie string and add their loose parts; this can be done on a long string even a short string we want these to be uniquely designed to you! These can then be taken home to hang up like a dream catcher, as well as hanging them outside like wind chimes. 

Week 3: Habitats

Habitats: Today we are celebrating habitats! We will go on a walk through the garden and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while contributing to a greater awareness of the need to protect the various habitats that we can see in the garden. We will then create unique artwork with clay using natural materials. This process encourages sensory and artistic exploration, stimulates imagination, and fosters a sense of connection with nature and community. Take home your masterpiece as a reminder of this experience. 

Week 4: Green Hands

Green hands: This week we’ll be getting our hands dirty. We are going to be planting and harvesting in the Yellow Wood Garden. We will learn about what seeds are best to plant in Spring and what plants are best to harvest in Spring. Learn all about planting and harvesting in this special season!

Week 5: Garden in a jar

Garden in a jar: Join us at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney and create your own garden in a jar! This hands-on activity provides a soothing and engaging way to connect with nature, fostering creativity and sensory stimulation. Create a little, personal and portable piece of nature to take home and cherish, while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of this unique activity.

Week 6: Mindfulness in the Garden

Mindfulness in the garden: Experience the tranquillity of mindfulness in the serene setting of the botanic gardens. This program offers gentle, guided mindfulness activities that foster relaxation and connection with nature, enhancing well-being and mental clarity.