By Jeanette Kingsley, RN

In the enclosed courtyard behind the Admissions Building at McLean Hospital , where others see an expanse of ugly crabgrass, I see the potential for a huge garden bursting with fragrant, colorful perennials. I imagine a labyrinth that patients and staff can walk through to soothe their thoughts and a pathway that weaves through different sections of a natural oasis.

My dreams are starting to come true.

Magical things happen every day when youre in a garden. It draws individuals out and puts them in a more positive frame of mind.

I know from experience. In 2013, I took over a modestly sized courtyard flower garden that had been tended for many years. With the help of a colleague, I slowly added more flowers to the garden, including zinnias, lilacs, and hibiscuses, and cared for it with the help of staff and patients. Many people witnessed the progress, as that area gets a lot of foot traffic and is visible from many of the Admissions Buildings windows.

During the second season, I recruited a teenagerwho was struggling considerably with her mental illness at the timeto plant a bunch of sunflower seeds with me and used the process as metaphor. We would talk about how plants grow and then how sometimes they have to go through a difficult period, maybe losing a branch and then growing another one. The premise of garden therapy is that people can see how nature works and heals itself and how it continues on, despite the setbacks. That young patient was so calm when we were in the garden.

After several years of witnessing the positive effects of the garden on patients and staff, I have decided to take my horticultural project to the next level.