現今許多已開發國家的生活步調緊湊，壓力遂成為引發現代人疾病的主因，園藝活動是一種能夠促進身心發展的重要休閒遊憩活動。本研究透過文獻回顧法，對於國內外園藝治療的理論與應用方法進行深入探討。園藝治療乃是一個利用植物、園藝活動以及自然環境來促進人們身心健康與福祉的過程，它可為人們帶來智識、社會、情感及生理等效益，可廣泛應用於精神患者、行為問題者、殘障者及老年人等的治療。另外，本研究將園藝治療的發展歷程概分為雛形期、發韌期、專業化療程發展期、學術單位發展期以及專業組織發展期等五個時期。園藝治療在國外發展已久，不僅醫療機構設計各種療程以廣泛應用植物的治療效果，促成專業組織蓬勃發展，並且美國部分學校已開設專業課程並授予園藝治療學位。反觀國內，雖然這個觀念引入台灣已有一段時間，然而開設相關課程的學術單位卻闕如，僅有少數療養機構將之做為職能治療的方法之一，專業組織仍在籌組中，足見我國園藝治療仍有相當大的發展空間。

Horticulture activity is an important leisure activity for improving physical and mental health. The objective of this study is to discuss theory and application of horticultural therapy based on literature reviewing. Horticultural therapy is a process in which plants and gardening activities are used to improve the body, mind and spirits of people. Horticultural therapy contains four kinds of benefit: intellectual benefit, social benefit, emotional benefit, and physical benefit. In this study, the development of horticultural therapy is divided into five stages that were beginning phase, expanding phase, specialization phase, academic progression phase, and specialized organization development phase. Horticulture therapy has been well developed overseas, however, it is adopted only by few medical organizations in Taiwan, that show we can striving to scale new heights.