Abstract: Community is the most closely connected area with human daily life. Horticultural therapy is a means of directly or indirectly using plants to relieve psychological stress, reduce anxiety, and improve self-cognitive ability of sub-healthy people. In order to meet the psychological demand for therapeutic gardens among stressed people in urban residents, the application model of horticultural therapy in community gardens was explored. The sensory preferences and preferred horticultural activities of people of different age groups were investigated through questionnaires. Based on the results of the survey, appropriate plants and horticultural activities were selected to establish a “sensory stimulation-mental recovery-stress relief” model in community gardens with “therapeutic landscape” and “horticultural activities” as the basic framework and “sensory stimulation” and “guided participation” as the basic methods, so as to relieve people’s mental stress and provide reference for the construction of a healthy China.