In June 2022, the director of a local rehabilitative transitional house for women with substance abuse, reached out to the extension office  to provide classes and activities in gardening and nutrtion. Research indicates, according to Rutgers University,  that the use of  horticulture therapy  is beneficial for people with physical, mental, emotional, and social disabilities. Horticultural activity and working with plants – which are  non-discriminating and non-threatening -  provide individuals with the feelings of accomplishment and completion success. This data suggests that horticulture therapy can help to provide relief from acute stress and assists in the rehabilitation of individuals from substance abuse.

The project began in  July 2022, with bi-monthly horticultural activities. The activities were  based around an existing “garden” of abandoned outdoor space. The agent led a group of eight women (number fluctuates monthly from 8 to 12 individuals) in  completing  a landscape needs assessment and discussion. This assessment and discussion  lead to the  landscape  goal of  creating a garden space that allows participants to grow vegetables, annuals, and perennials, as well as provides a  special place for group discussion meeting space, and  private reflection space for individuals.

The project uses plants and plant-based activities as an outreach vehicle  with the purpose of healing, rehabilitation, and creating basic life skills that participants can rely on long after they have left the facility. It is hoped that the horticultural activities, along with others provided by Safe Haven, will empower women to defeat their disease and rebuild their lives.

Completion of raised beds and landscape features has been slow and is incomplete at this time, but signs of the curative power of horticulture therapy has been noticed. The relaxed but productive atmosphere of  working individually and in a group toward a common goal, has allowed for meaningful conversation and therapy ( a rehabilitative center  counselor is always present with participants, working right along with them.) Conversations have taken place concerning what individuals will face when they leave the cloistered environment, reasons why they are here, how it affects their children. When the agent mentioned to the group that the landscape renovation was  slow going, and possibly the group goals should be revisited to make it easier and more “instant” fulfilment, one  participant spoke up and said “ Oh no, this is the way it should be because getting clean and sober is the exact same struggle. It’s long and hard and sometimes you want to give up, but you keep going, because of the promise of the end result.”…   i.e., better (sober) life for individual and their families and fresh vegetables, pretty flowers, and a reflective place to think and enjoy nature.