ABSTRACT
The work of Frederick Law Olmsted, the “Father of Landscape Architecture,” and that of his firm from the 1850’s through the first half of this century resulted in many of the most professional and socially influential landscapes in the United States. Thousands of these landscapes have attained national significance as plant-oriented places of enduring popularity.
The long term success and viability of these places can be attributed to a number of “Olmstedian” design principles which influence the nature and quality of human interactions within these intensively vegetated settings. This paper examines these Olmstedian principles for approaches to the layout and organization of therapeutic landscapes which can encourage participation with plants and with the outdoor spaces they shape.
