Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Background
1.2. Military Service Members Interactions with Outdoor Landscapes
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Experimental Population and Assessments
2.2. Online Surveys
2.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Demographics
3.2. Ranking Landscape Features and Utilities
3.3. Preferences of Garden Elements
3.4. Preference of Views
4. Discussion
5. Limitations
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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View Type | Picture Description |
---|---|
Formal | Clean formal lines, with very little diversity of plant life and little color |
Wild | Nonformal dense vegetation views with colorful wildflowers and grassy unkempt landscape with no real structure |
Refuge | Views were of a tree-covered space with line of sight impeded |
Prospect | Wide spaces out in nature with few buildings and plant life and unimpeded line of sight |
Urban | Views of outdoor built landscapes, with very little plant material |
Natural | View of plant materials and very little built landscapes |
Variable | Frequency | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 190 | 83.0 |
Female | 39 | 17.0 | |
Age | 18–24 | 22 | 9.6 |
25–30 | 123 | 53.7 | |
31–40 | 62 | 27.1 | |
41–50 | 12 | 5.2 | |
51–60 | 3 | 1.3 | |
>61 | 8 | 3.5 | |
Ethnicity | Caucasian (White) | 202 | 88.2 |
Mexican/Hispanic | 11 | 4.8 | |
African American | 3 | 1.3 | |
Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.9 | |
Asian | 3 | 1.3 | |
Native American | 5 | 2.2 | |
Multiracial | 3 | 1.3 | |
Military branch | Army | 89 | 38.9 |
Air Force | 22 | 9.6 | |
Marines | 51 | 22.3 | |
Coast Guard | 20 | 8.7 | |
Navy | 47 | 20.5 | |
Military status | Active duty | 91 | 39.7 |
Reserve | 8 | 3.5 | |
Honorable discharge | 80 | 34.9 | |
Retired | 49 | 21.4 | |
Dishonorable discharge | 1 | 0.4 | |
Years of service | 1–2 years | 22 | 9.6 |
3–5 years | 138 | 60.3 | |
6–10 years | 56 | 24.5 | |
11–20 years | 4 | 1.7 | |
>20 years | 9 | 3.9 |
Variable | Frequency | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 94 | 68.6 |
Female | 43 | 31.4 | |
Age | 18–24 | 26 | 19.0 |
25–30 | 69 | 50.4 | |
31–40 | 37 | 27.0 | |
41–50 | 4 | 2.9 | |
51–60 | 1 | 0.7 | |
>61 | 0 | 0.0 | |
Ethnicity | Caucasian (White) | 123 | 89.8 |
Mexican/Hispanic | 1 | 0.7 | |
African American | 3 | 2.2 | |
Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0 | |
Asian | 3 | 2.2 | |
Native American | 5 | 3.6 | |
Multiracial | 2 | 1.5 |
Variable | Selection | % Military | % Civilian | Chi-Square p-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leaf type | Evergreen | 53% | 47% | 0.227 | |
Deciduous | 49% | 38% | 0.031 | * | |
Broad leaf | 39% | 41% | 0.692 | ||
Small leaf | 38% | 46% | 0.136 | ||
Palm-like | 31% | 28% | 0.519 | ||
Soft feel | 25% | 32% | 0.092 | ||
Protective structures | 4% | 3% | 0.842 | ||
Leaf color | Light green | 36% | 41% | 0.983 | |
Green | 33% | 31% | 0.999 | ||
Orange | 31% | 28% | 0.999 | ||
Blues and greys | 24% | 28% | 0.998 | ||
Turf preference | Turf | 53% | 55% | 0.708 | |
Both | 34% | 34% | 0.673 | ||
No turf | 13% | 11% | 0.962 | ||
Building materials | Flagstone | 81% | 88% | 0.152 | |
Gravel | 71% | 63% | 0.11 | ||
Marble | 57% | 69% | 0.03 | * | |
Slate | 52% | 49% | 0.454 | ||
Limestone | 48% | 49% | 0.868 | ||
Wrought iron | 45% | 33% | 0.026 | * | |
Boulders | 42% | 39% | 0.634 | ||
Mulch | 34% | 25% | 0.094 | ||
Brick | 26% | 28% | 0.707 | ||
Concrete | 21% | 49% | 0.0001 | ** | |
Steel | 13% | 4% | 0.086 | ||
Copper | 9% | 5% | 0.49 | ||
Garden forms | Rustic | 76% | 79% | 0.597 | |
Curves | 74% | 83% | 0.096 | ||
Tier/Steps | 68% | 57% | 0.038 | * | |
Informal | 59% | 68% | 0.015 | * | |
Hidden | 53% | 46% | 0.152 | ||
Rectangles | 48% | 46% | 0.98 | ||
Formal | 39% | 51% | 0.023 | * | |
Sunken | 27% | 20% | 0.228 | ||
Garden atmosphere | Relaxed | 71% | 88% | 0.001 | ** |
Energizing | 64% | 62% | 0.748 | ||
Nourishing | 55% | 66% | 0.045 | * | |
Secret/Private | 52% | 43% | 0.112 | ||
Uplifting | 51% | 38% | 0.014 | * | |
Spiritual | 47% | 46% | 0.825 | ||
Serene | 40% | 34% | 0.27 | ||
Exciting | 33% | 25% | 0.116 | ||
Social | 26% | 36% | 0.043 | * | |
Playful | 22% | 34% | 0.027 | * | |
Sheltered | 21% | 21% | 0.897 | ||
Open | 18% | 7% | 0.038 | * | |
Garden attributes | Raised beds | 56% | 50% | 0.289 | |
Add fragrance | 50% | 55% | 0.385 | ||
Provide exercise | 46% | 47% | 0.868 | ||
Provide shade | 45% | 35% | 0.047 | * | |
Add soft sounds | 45% | 55% | 0.05 | * | |
Sanctuary space | 44% | 41% | 0.592 | ||
Grow food | 43% | 41% | 0.713 | ||
Reduce noise | 41% | 40% | 0.797 | ||
Create privacy | 41% | 18% | 0.001 | ** | |
Attract wildlife | 36% | 41% | 0.331 | ||
Add texture | 34% | 50% | 0.002 | * | |
Reduce wind | 29% | 33% | 0.44 | ||
Provide cut flowers | 28% | 27% | 0.792 | ||
Low maintenance | 10% | 12% | 0.65 | ||
Low water use | 8% | 5% | 0.598 |
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Thomas, A.; Monsur, M.; Lindquist, C.S.; Montague, T.; Simpson, C.R. Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens. Land 2024, 13, 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050658
Thomas A, Monsur M, Lindquist CS, Montague T, Simpson CR. Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens. Land. 2024; 13(5):658. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050658
Chicago/Turabian StyleThomas, Alicia, Muntazar Monsur, Carol S. Lindquist, Thayne Montague, and Catherine R. Simpson. 2024. "Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens" Land 13, no. 5: 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050658
APA StyleThomas, A., Monsur, M., Lindquist, C. S., Montague, T., & Simpson, C. R. (2024). Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens. Land, 13(5), 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050658