The healing power of plants…

Here is an interview of Sue Stuart Smith a renown psychotherapist who watched her father heal from World War I working with plants and the land. She saw healing benefits for her own patients in Therapeutic Horticulture programs, too. Her book “The Well Gardened Mind” was an eye opener for me. I knew working in the dirt and garden restored me, but was not aware of the science behind it. In this NY Botanic Garden interview, Sue talks about the Hort’s Rikers Island Prison Therapeutic Garden program pointing to the cognitive benefits of gardening and the recent research showing how green nature has direct antidepressant effects on humans. The book is a great read. “The most original gardening book ever [that] combines observation, horticulture, literature and history” (Sunday Times, UK.)  “The Well-Gardened Mind is a book for gardeners and non-gardeners alike, and the perfect solace for people seeking healthier mental lives.” (Google Book Review) Jump to minute 47 if you are pressed for time… https://youtu.be/yHwb9T7pbzA