Wander Gardens - Huh?

So what do you think a wander garden is?

A. A path in the woods where you can wander and explore.
B. An expansive garden with different rooms where you can wander around.
C. A large, formal English garden where you can walk around the perimeter and admire a lavish perennial garden.

Answer
None of the above.

A wander garden is actually a garden created for older people suffering from such things as Alzheimer's and other dementias..

They have been around for quite awhile. It was thought that using them would be a positive experience. It would be a pleasant way to get some exercise and also possible reduce agitation.They would also foster well-being.

Typically these gardens have a variety of plants for pleasant visual stimulation and fragrances. Attracting wildlife such as birds and butterflies is also part of the concept.

However, in a recent study, along with good results, wander gardens also caused negative behavior. Why this was so was not clear.

I found this very surprising.

The source of the study is the following:

"Does a Wander Garden Influence Inappropriate Behaviors in Dementia Residents?" by Mark Detweiler, Pamela Murphy, Laura Myers, and Kye Kim; American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, vol. 23, no. 1, 2008