Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
A Therapist’s Garden: Using Plants to Revitalize Your Spirit
Black Rose Writing, March 2022
2023 IAN Book of the Year Awards Finalist – General Non-Fiction & Health/Medicine/Fitness/Dieting
2023 Finalist of Eric Hoffer Book Award
Winner of 2022 IndieReader Discovery Award for Home & Garden
Click on this LINK to hear a review of A Therapist’s Garden on NPR
The Zen of mixing mud with seniors; crafting surprising salads out of weeds; and a hidden rabbit bringing joy to girls in a juvenile detention center. These are a few of the nearly 100 stories that Erik Keller takes readers on through a journey of how interacting with plants and nature can help heal mental, emotional, and physical trauma. Through the lens of January to December in a New England landscape, discover how horticultural therapy improves the lives of those in pain including special-needs children, cancer patients, and disabled seniors.
Though A Therapist’s Garden primarily deals with the emotional and physical benefits of nature-based interactions, it also provides an array of practical gardening advice and tips through client stories as well as monthly outings and crafts that will surprise and delight readers. Pen-and-ink plate and spot illustrations add depth to each chapter.
Advance praise for A Therapist’s Garden
A remarkably wise, slyly humorous and compassionate review of the year Keller spent gardening with his Connecticut “clients” (as he calls them) — cancer patients, special needs children, kids in juvenile detention facilities. —Joan Baum, National Public Radio (NPR)
Full of wonder and compassion, Keller’s memoir demonstrates the power of horticultural therapy in action and provides a practical guide based on a wealth of experience. —Dr. Sue Stuart-Smith, author, The Well-Gardened Mind
Spending a year in the gardens with Erik Keller is illuminating and inspiring. A Therapist’s Garden is the balm we need in troubling times. —Florence Williams, author, The Nature Fix
Reading this book is like hanging out with a mentor who is a master gardener and knows how to teach gently in sync with the seasons. A Therapist’s Garden takes beginners and experts alike beyond the skills and into the heart of gardening. —M Amos Clifford, CEO and Founder, Association of Nature & Forest Therapy and author of Your Guide to Forest Bathing
A Therapist’s Garden eloquently demonstrates that nurturing plant life and immersing oneself in the seasonal cycles of nature is often the best prescription for health and well being. —Matt Mattus, author of Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening and the award-winning gardening blog Growing with Plants.
A wonder-filled book of the hidden miracles of therapeutic gardening. A Therapist’s Garden captures Erik Keller’s many years of experience with inspiring tales of success with special-needs children and plants. A joy to read! —Sal Gilbertie, author and owner Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens, one of the largest organic herb growers in the United States.
This engaging book is filled with month-by-month chapters of delightful stories from Erik’s many years of teaching horticultural therapy. A Therapist’s Garden has many useful gardening tips and projects bringing the therapeutic benefits of plants into clients’ lives. —Marc Thoma, author of Urban Gardening for Beginners and Herb Gardening for Beginners.
A Therapist’s Garden is a timeless yet timely account of how plants and gardening have the power to influence, heal and possibly transform lives. Over years and seasons, Erik Keller weaves together deeply personal stories and practical information for all who are interested in learning how horticulture is an unparalleled therapeutic medium. —Phyllis D’Amico, HTM, Program Coordinator, Horticultural Therapy, The New York Botanical Garden
In A Therapist’s Garden, master gardener Erik Keller shares memories and activities from his 20-plus year career as a horticultural therapist. Using the power of plants, Keller helps people of all ages overcome cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges. Keller’s writing style evokes feelings of comfort, patience, and encouragement and is bound to imbue readers with an interest in the connection between inner peace and their relationship with nature.—IndieReader