Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of flower-rich therapeutic gardens on patient comfort, emotional well-being, and perceived recovery among hospitalized and outpatient individuals in Indonesian district hospitals. The research was motivated by the need to integrate non-pharmacological, environmental interventions into holistic nursing practice, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings

Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted over a 10-month period from January to October 2024 in five district hospitals located in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A total of 500 patients (inpatients and outpatients) were selected using purposive sampling based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using a structured, culturally adapted questionnaire measuring three domains: comfort level, emotional well-being, and perceived recovery, each scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and correlational statistical analyses were performed to explore associations between variables.

Results: The findings revealed high mean scores across all domains: comfort level (M = 4.41, SD = 0.52), emotional well-being (M = 4.52, SD = 0.46), and perceived recovery (M = 4.38, SD = 0.55). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed strong, significant relationships between emotional well-being and perceived recovery (r = 0.781, p < 0.001), comfort and emotional well-being (r = 0.693, p < 0.001), and comfort and perceived recovery (r = 0.612, p < 0.001). These outcomes suggest that garden exposure contributes positively to both psychological and physiological dimensions of healing.

Conclusion: Therapeutic Garden environments significantly enhance patient outcomes by fostering emotional stability, comfort, and subjective recovery. These benefits are supported not only by patient narratives but also by neuroimmune and molecular mechanisms such as reduced stress biomarkers and enhanced immune function. The findings affirm the value of integrating nature-based designs into hospital infrastructure as part of holistic nursing and healing strategies, particularly in under-resourced regions.