Therapeutic garden

The Medicinal Herbman isn’t human nevertheless he is alive. From his 200 feet tall, his mission is to widespread the plants therapeutic properties.

In 2009, Japanese team, from the firm “Earthscape” designed, in his country, in Echigo-Tsumari region, a man body shaped large garden. This garden had the particularity to only contain medicinal plants. They were situated, on the body, according to their therapeutic effects. For example, Geranium thunbergii known to aid digestion was planted near the Medicinal Herbman stomach and Artemisia argyi known to relieve stiffness was located on the shoulders. The plant therapeutic effects are known thanks to the local traditional uses and literature.

During one year, three Medicinal Herbmen were created in three different Japan areas. Near the garden, herbal cafés were installed (giving its name to the project “Medicinal Herbman Café Project”) in which the medicinal use of each plant was taught. The money collected thanks to beverages or plant sales financed playgrounds in developing countries.

The Medicinal Herbman purpose is simple: improving deprived population health and life quality. Now it’ll be interesting to see how he grows all around the world.

Dr Pascale IMBERT

Bibliography

1)      http://www.dezeen.com

2)      Lindsay Stafford, Travelling Medicinal Herbman Garden Project, HerbalGram, May-July 2010,22-23.

3)      http://www.greenmuze.com