Even if you don’t think of yourself as outdoorsy, the research is pretty clear: time spent unplugged – bonus if it’s got a little “outside thrown in” – is pretty dang good for you. And if you, like me, think you might need more of it…today’s episode on horticultural therapy just might be just the inspiration you need to get your hands dirty and grow something.

Jessica Murnane of Basker Gardens on The Allsorts Podcast
Whether you live for the outdoors or only deign to visit, Horticultural Therapy Practitioner Jessica Murnane will help inspire to bring a little more nature into your life!

As a dietitian, I love exploring new lifestyle practices that can help you build a healthy life (that you actually enjoy!) So I’m excited to be I’m speaking with the lovely Jessica Murnane about how even just a little nature can help you heal.

Jessica is a horticultural therapy practitioner based in Charleston, South Carolina and she is the growing inspiration you didn’t realize you needed…particularly if you’ve never thought of yourself as an earthy person. She believes that interacting with the plant world, even if all you have is a windowsill, or a bit of time to cook, is a powerful way of connecting to the natural world and there is science to back it up.

I love this episode: I speak with Jessica about everything from how she – very much a city person – stumbled upon a love of gardening and found her way to horticultural therapy. We talk about the history and science of horticultural therapy and how you can bring a little bit of nature’s medicine into your own life. Even if you’re not the type to wax lyrical about a landscape. And especially if you don’t have a lot of time or money.

About Jessica Murnane:

Jessica Murnane is an author, creative consultant, and Horticultural Therapy Practitioner.
She’s the founder of Basker, where she helps people use gardening and nature as a tool for mental, physical, emotional, and social health.

Jessica has written two books, the cookbook One Part Plant and the women’s health book Know Your Endo. Her work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Goop, House Beautiful, People, and Shape Magazine, among others. She’s an avid cut flower gardener and loves giving away flowers even more than she likes growing them. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and son. 

On this episode we chat about:

  • How growing things builds connection with others and nature
  • How Jessica, a city dweller, fell in love with growing flowers
  • Why growing things can help non-nature lovers connect with nature
  • What is horticultural therapy? 
  • Research behind the practice
  • How growing things – even in a single pot – can improve access to nature
  • How to access community nature resources and education
  • Ways to get started with growing
  • How growing things democratizes what is a luxury item in our society

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Connect with Jessica

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