Forensic gardening program flourishes over the summer

In April, as the flowers and trees were beginning to bloom, an important collaboration with partners like Gifts of Light (GOL) and Root In Nature was also blossoming in the Forensic Program across multiple units.

Recognizing the mental health benefits of being outdoors and gardening, Recreation and Behavioral therapists from across CAMH Forensic units spearheaded work to put together a compelling Comfort Fund grant application through Gifts of Light to fund the construction of several community gardens for Forensic patients. This grant is designed to fund projects related to the care and comfort of patients and is focused on delivering meaningful experiences and practical gifts.

Once the grant was approved, the team in Tower 3 was able to offer a creative gardening pilot program in partnership with Root In Nature, a nature-based program that provides an immersive gardening experience to support patients through their recovery.

Thanks to the generous contributions from GOL, several gardens were built in different areas of the Forensic Program, including in the courtyards outside of both Tower 1 and Tower 3.

“In Tower 1 alone, we have Unit 1-2, Unit 1-3, Unit 1-4, and Unit 1-5 all participating and maintaining the garden. Unit 1-2 and Unit 1-4 Recreation Therapists along with the Behavioural Therapist in Unit 1-4 assisted in the development and execution of this very successful program,” explained Kelciya Norbert, Recreation Therapist, Unit 1-2. “Our sensory gardens are filled with herbs like mint, thyme, lavender and basil and, in the larger part of the garden we have different vegetables growing like tomatoes, beans, jalapeno peppers, chilli peppers, green peppers, eggplant, watermelon and cantaloupe.”

Facilitated by an experienced horticultural therapy practitioner, Root in Nature delivered a 10-week creative gardening course that taught patients how to take care of the gardens and extend the growing season well into the fall months.

“The Tower 3 gardening program has been instrumental in providing patients with education about how to plant and take care of various vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Patients were eager to go outside daily to tend to the garden and were amazed as they watched the garden grow throughout the summer,” said Kelly Richards, Recreation Therapist in Unit 3-3. “We harvested beets one session, and the next day the patients prepared a beet, arugula and tahini salad. It was heartening to see how proud they were to have grown these crops and to have created a delicious meal to share.”

The positive impact that this program had on patients was almost immediately evident. Throughout the summer, many patients began developing somewhat of a “green thumb” as their crops began to produce delicious fruits and vegetables—rewarding them for their hard work and dedication.

“It was a meaningful and fulfilling experience to see this project through from planning to implementation. Working in the garden has allowed me to gain skills that led to employment and forging relationships with members of the community,” explained a Forensics patient when asked how this program benefited them.

“Gardening is a great way to relieve stress and tension. It creates a sense of joy, pride, and relaxation. Patients who participated in this program would enjoy going outside to water the plants and it gave them something to look forward to each day. With the help of our team and the dedication of patients, the gardening program flourished this summer,” said Elise Ward, Behaviour Therapist in Unit 3-3.

As the cooler weather approaches, so too does the end of the gardening season. The Forensic gardens wrapped up operations at the end of October.

“Next year, we will work with patients to start seedlings indoors so that they can be transplanted outdoors once the warmer weather arrives,” said Abi Athithan, Recreation Therapist, Unit 1-2.

This program was made possible by the generous contributions of Gifts of Light and the support of unit managers and our dedicated Recreation and Behavioral therapists who took the time and effort to produce a successful grant proposal and ensured that this program was successfully executed.