A Southern California nursery shows how gardening can improve mental health
The beneficial effects of gardening on mental health have never been more validated than in the success of a nursery in Camarillo known as Growing Works. It’s a bustling business that did $250,000 in sales last year, due in large part to the efforts of individuals with a history of severe mental health disorders, homelessness and substance abuse. Jenn Rodriguez is the nursery’s manager and the driving force behind its mission, which she summarizes as “cultivating mental health.”
Some of those working at the nursery had never held a regular job and their commitment to this horticultural enterprise is breathtaking. Rodriguez cites the relationship between two men who were homeless and drug-addicted for more than 20 years and are now “best buddies,” their friendship rooted in a common sense of purpose. As psychologist Viktor Frankl made clear in his classic work, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” our mental health ultimately depends on the purpose or meaning we find in life.
The relationship of the two formerly homeless employees is “so tight . . . and they really set the tone for the group.” As Rodriguez explains it, the special camaraderie of the two has induced a desire by all to embrace the kind of attitude necessary for teamwork to thrive and an all around community spirit to take hold.
In the end, this sense of community is the real profit generated by Growing Works. Rodriguez speaks of “how isolating mental health can be” and “just socialization and being part of a group is a big part of Growing Works.” The nursery is a Turning Point Foundation program open to those under the care of Ventura County Behavioral Health. Those hired generally work 13-20 hours per week and are involved in all aspects of the nursery operation, from plant propagation, potting, and watering to loading and delivering of the finished product. Customers include Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, The Huntington Botanical Gardens, UCLA Botanical Garden, and retail nurseries.
Rodriguez makes it clear that her employees’ lack of horticultural experience should not deter potential buyers since every plant that goes on sale is of the highest quality.
Celebrations are an important part of the nursery’s daily routine. Although there are major celebrations in spring (Spring Fling) and fall (Fall Festival), a celebration over the best month of sales so far, held last spring, was a highlight, although celebratory accolades over achievement in any area of endeavor — from watering to loading the delivery truck — are a daily occurrence. Rodriguez mentions that many of her employees come from broken homes and may have had few celebrations in their lives. She wants to make up for this by acknowledging them at every opportunity for their efforts.
Growing Works is a wholesale business and primarily involves contract growing for public gardens, nurseries, and landscapers. However, the nursery, located at 1736 South Lewis Road in Camarillo, is open to the general public on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The composition of the plants available is 60% California natives, 30% succulents, and 10% “cool stuff that we like.”
In this last category, Rodriguez is especially enthusiastic about the fragrant plants she grows such as Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda), a vining plant with the most sweetly-scented white flowers and Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac), also powerfully fragrant, white-flowered, and vining, although it can also be grown as a shrub. For a complete roster of Growing Works plants, go to growingworks.org. When you get there, scroll down to “Retail Plant List” on the right side of the page. Volunteers at the nursery are encouraged and, to become one of them, continue scrolling down on the same page until you see “Just want to help as a Community Volunteer! Complete this form” on the left side.
***
What if there were scientific evidence to suggest that, when it comes to anxiety and depression, working in the garden could be as beneficial as talk therapy or medication?
There is a non-pathogenic, soil-dwelling microorganism that in studies conducted with mice, at least, point to the joy-inducing potential of putting our hands in the earth. When Mycobacterium vaccae was injected into mice, it promoted production of serotonin, the chemical associated with a calm and stable mood. A series of long established tests designed to measure anxiety and depression in mice showed a decrease in both among the injected test subjects.
Mycobacterium vaccae is considered one of the so-called old friends bacteria, those to which we were commonly exposed for centuries, due to farming and other outdoor activities, and which have always been vital to our immunological and emotional health. It has been suggested that once we started living more hygienic lives, removed from contact with the earth and nature in general, the positive effects of these bacteria declined. Without their abiding presence, we are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions and likely to develop allergies as well as mood disorders.
But contact with this beneficial bacterium alone is probably not the only explanation for the contentment of those who put their hands in the earth. According to a number of studies on this subject, the happiness of those who engage in farming exceeds that of those who engage in any other profession. Farmers find joy and purpose in providing others with food just as, I believe, those at Growing Works and other ornamental plant nurseries find joy in bringing beauty to others.
I also think seeing the growth and development of plants is therapeutic for anyone, including gardeners. Gardening is an adventure where you gain an appreciation for the changes and progress of plants through the seasons of the year. There is always something beautiful happening in the garden and, in Southern California, something to harvest for breakfast juice or dinner salad. There is also an exciting unpredictability about gardening, as you never know what sort of plant will appear should a seed excreted by a bird or carried by the wind from some far away place suddenly sprout, grow up, and flower.
“Start with Soil” (Frances Lincoln, 2025), authored by Juliet Sargeant from the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in England, does not delve into the issue of how certain soil-dwelling bacteria affect our mood, but it does instruct how to make our garden soil more hospitable to plants of every kind. The least laborious way of improving soil is with the no-dig method where “we simply lay organic matter on the soil surface.”
To speed up soil amelioration, four amendments are recommended: garden compost, made from garden waste and kitchen scraps; vermicompost, made from vegetable scraps or manures that have been digested by worms in a closed container; leaf mold, made from a collection of thin leaves of deciduous trees (as opposed to thicker evergreen leaves), piled up in a 3 foot x 3 foot enclosure made of chicken wire secured to lodge pole stakes at the corners and situated in a shady spot; chicken manure, which is a good argument for having a few chickens around, other than for their eggs.
Sergeant maintains that “if you have a healthy soil rich in organic matter … extra chemicals will not be necessary.” Should you still wish to fertilize your plants — and they will probably need it when grown in containers — do so with a tea made from nettles (Urtica dioica) or comfrey (Symphytum officinale). They grow easily in partial shade anywhere in California. Chop up a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of leaves and put them in a bucket filled with 2 and 1/2 gallons of water for nettles and 3 gallons for comfrey. Cover the pot, wait for two weeks, stir and cover again. After another week, strain the rotting material and store the liquid in a plastic bottle in your garage or shed. Dilute your finished tea 1:3 with water and apply to the soil around your plants. For breaking up clay soil, the author recommends planting certain edibles: potatoes, Daikon radishes (those with the long roots), turnips, beets, and artichokes. All of these, by the way, can be planted now.
Do you have a story to tell concerning soil improvement? If so, send it to Joshua@perfectplants.com. Your comments and questions, as well as gardening conundrums and successes, are always welcome.
California native of the Week: Outside one of the camellia shadehouses at Nuccio’s Nurseries in Altadena, two robust monkey flowers with red flowers are growing. They have nestled into depressions in the earth, their roots benefitting from water which settles in those low spots. These plants appear to be scarlet monkey flower (Mimulus cardinals) since this is a species that favors moist soil. There is also a chance, however, that they could be one of the numerous monkey flower hybrids that appear in colors ranging from yellow to orange and rose to red. Seed packets that contain a mix of monkey flower colors will provide you with a kaleidoscope of blooms. By planting both annual and perennial types, you will have monkey flowers flowering from spring through fall.