Collie Turner combined her love of gardening with pride in her grandfather’s military service to create Heroic Gardens, an Elkins Park-based mental health nonprofit that helps veterans heal through horticulture, writes Racquel Williams for KYW Newsradio.
“I was very close to my grandfather, and he served in World War II,” she said. “He was a medic and when he came back, he built a huge vegetable garden for his family.”
Watching her grandfather in the garden, she realized that beyond practicing sustainability, he was healing himself from the wounds of war. The nonprofit’s mission is to introduce veterans and their families to the healing power of plants and nature.
“We introduce plants and plant-based activities and help them gauge how they’re feeling, because it is scientifically proven that working with plants can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, PTSD, while increasing mental acuity, bone strength, self-esteem, and confidence,” said Turner.
Many veterans who have worked in the nonprofit’s gardens say it helped them feel less isolated and overcome despair.
Heroic Gardens offers over 20 plant classes each month for veterans and caregivers throughout the Philadelphia region. One of the ongoing efforts is the Sunflower Project at Pennypack Farm, a veteran-managed community sunflower field.
Read more about Heroic Gardens at KYW Newsradio.
