HTI welcomes new blog contributor, Megan Goulden, THP!
Waiting for Spring
Thank goodness February is a short month. As a gardener, even in California, the grey days stretch before me as I wait for spring.
Horticultural therapy/therapeutic horticulture (HT/TH) professionals and students are very connected to the push and pull of each season. We can feel it in our bodies and see or hear the nature that surrounds us. Staying present in winter allows us to slow down and focus on our intentions for the upcoming busier seasons. It can be a season of finalizing activity plans, purchasing supplies, and envisioning new garden spaces. This planning and presence can help us avoid becoming overwhelmed or burnt out. Yet, making plans to tend to our own gardens is equally important, as many of us came to this work through our love of gardening and plants. How can we use the remainder of this cold, dark season to make plans for our own renewal, as well?
Quiet, Tactile Task
One of the ways I find renewal is in the quiet, tactile task of starting seeds – for myself, and for clients. I choose plants that I need alongside plants that bring me joy – think calendulas, California sungold tomatoes, herbs, and some zinnias. Using soil blocks for seeding is like making mud-pies, and planning for my seedlings’ care engages my mind in a productive and hopeful way. This practice can provide amazing plants for our own use and help us authentically share this knowledge with our clients. As author and podcaster Jennifer Jewell notes “Seed is everything. It is our food…our environment. It is our cultural symbol of hope and regeneration.”
As you plan your garden and those of your clients in the final weeks of winter, take a moment to renew your commitment to our professional community. Save the date for the AHTA 2026 Annual Conference, taking place from October 15 to 17 in San Francisco. Our theme is “Thriving in the Grove: Building Resilience through Horticultural Therapy,” and I am pleased to share that our keynote speaker will be Jennifer Jewel, award-winning author and podcaster. If you have work or research to share, the Call for Proposals is currently open. You can find the submission guidelines and more conference details on the AHTA website.
I look forward to seeing what we can grow together this year!
