THE HEALING POWER OF GARDENING: A MISSOURI WOMAN’S JOURNEY

Growing up in Missouri, Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh was around gardens since she can remember. “My parents were both music teachers and had summers off. They loved to garden, so we always had a large vegetable plot, along with flowers and indoor houseplants. My two siblings and I were assigned different gardening chores, such as watering different areas of the yard,” Suzannah recalls. “We all held our wedding receptions outdoors at our family home. Some of my favorite memories are of planning and preparing the garden for these special life events. It made me realize the transformative power of gardening.”

As an adult, Suzannah followed in her parents’ footsteps, becoming a professional musician. In her spare time, she dabbled with growing indoor houseplants and the occasional patio tomato.

Suzannah's Tips for Gardening for Wellness | Gardening for the Senses

The newly renovated patio is now the central feature of the yard, a place for relaxing, reading, al fresco dining, and entertaining. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

When Suzannah began experiencing health issues in 2019, she developed anxiety that was difficult to control. Though music offered some respite, she also resumed gardening, where she discovered its healing powers. “Digging in the dirt helped reset my brain, taking my mind off my health issues. Gardening got me outdoors and gave me something else to focus on,” Suzannah says.

Using inspiration from gardening magazines and plant catalogs, Suzannah began renovating her 1/3-acre Springfield, Missouri yard (USDA zone 6b). She first created a garden border next to a covered patio attached to the house. As she added trees, shrubs and perennials around the yard, Suzannah began noticing birds, butterflies, pollinating insects and other wildlife making their way into the garden. “Providing habitat was very exciting and empowering to me. I felt a symbiotic relationship and developed a deep connection to nature,” she says. “I started slowing down and noticing little things, such as different kinds of bees on flowers, or a butterfly fluttering around the yard. It gave me an entirely new perspective and helped pull me out of my mental funk.”

Cobalt blue statuary placed around the yard, including a decorative ceramic globe, bubbler fountain, and bird feeder, help unify the garden spaces. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

Each new growing season presented an opportunity to renovate a different area. When a large silver maple was lost, it opened up a sunny spot in the yard. Suzannah took advantage of the increased light by adding a kitchen garden and colorful mixed borders.

During the Covid pandemic when her two daughters were home schooled, Suzannah created a “swing garden,” where the girls could play on a swing set and trampoline. “Being more isolated, the swing garden gave them a place to go outside for physical activity and some “me” time. Even though they’re older now, my daughters still like to go out and swing, even in the middle of winter. It’s their own part of the yard, and a place for them to escape and unwind,” Suzannah notes.

Drifts of ‘Magnus’ pink echinacea are planted in garden borders around the yard, creating repetition while adding long-lasting summer color. Spent flower seed heads provide food for songbirds. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

Most recently, the patio, a small concrete slab that was lacking any function, was renovated and expanded. A friend and neighbor who does landscaping work removed the concrete slab, leveled the area, and built a retaining wall. Large irregular slabs of Arkansas flagstone, which is local to the area, were used for the new patio. ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae trees and oak leaf hydrangea shrubs planted around the perimeter of the patio create separation and privacy.

Suzannah embellished the now-spacious patio with Adirondack-style chairs and a fire pit where family and friends can gather for drinks or dinner. Potted plants and statuary complete the eclectic look. The new patio area is shaded from the afternoon sun, offering a cooling respite in the heat of summer. It’s become a favorite spot for relaxing, reading, al fresco dining, and entertaining.

Suzannah includes plants to attract wildlife. She grows dill, which is a host plant for swallowtail butterfly larvae, and milkweed to support monarch butterfly larvae. Catmint, butterfly bush, coneflower, echinops, sunflowers, and lantana attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other insect pollinators. Here, a monarch butterfly feeds on nectar-rich zinnia flowers. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

Suzannah grows plants with attractive structure, foliage, flowers, and seedheads for year-round interest. Some of her favorites include redbud, hydrangea, echinacea, alliums and ornamental grasses. Containers planted with annuals such as geraniums, zinnias, African daisy, salvia and Persian shield are mainly confined to the patio to make watering chores easier. “In winter, the evergreens, ornamental grasses, and dried hydrangea flower heads look interesting, even under a blanket of snow,” Suzannah notes.

“Though my health issues have since resolved, I still enjoy the benefits of gardening,” Suzannah says. “It’s something anyone can do, whether you have a spacious yard, apartment balcony, or windowsill. A beautiful garden doesn’t happen overnight. Pick one project to do at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed.”

A productive kitchen garden provides fresh vegetables and herbs for Suzannah’s family during summer months. Dill is allowed to self-sow to support swallowtail butterflies, while volunteer cleome flowers provide color. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

SUZANNAH’S TIPS ON GARDENING FOR WELLNESS

Suzannah has learned to manage anxiety, and enjoys overall better health through gardening. Here are some of her suggestions when gardening for wellness:

1. Set aside areas for relaxation
   Dedicate areas of your yard to sit and enjoy the garden, read a book, meditate, relax, and have down time. “The newly renovated patio has become the center of our outdoor family activities,” says Suzannah.
2. Slow down
   Take time to observe birds, insects, and appreciate the rhythms of nature. “Attracting wildlife and taking time to watch all the activity in the garden is one of the most satisfying parts of gardening for me,” Suzannah says.
3. Eat healthy
   An avid cook, Suzannah harvests fresh herbs and vegetables from her productive kitchen garden, including tomatoes, squash, Swiss chard and radishes. “It’s gratifying to harvest and eat something you’ve grown yourself. Plus, everything is healthier and tastes better when it’s fresh,” says Suzannah.
4. Get moving
   The physical activity of gardening offers a range of health benefits. “In summer, I’m out in the garden first thing in the morning, and am often still going by early evening. I have more energy, and my mood is improved,” Suzannah says.
5. Plan ahead
   “I set goals to have something to look forward to. Making a plan, perusing plant catalogs, and dreaming of spring are just as fulfilling as gardening itself. Even in winter I am thinking about the garden and the next growing season,” Suzannah says. “It helps me get through the darkest time of year.”

This exuberant late summer border is planted with ‘Little Lime’ hydrangea, ‘American Gold Rush’ rudbeckia, self-sowing annual cleome, and dwarf Euphoria™ Ruby Joe Pye weed, which reaches just 3 feet tall. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

GARDENING FOR THE SENSES

Being attuned to nature’s cues can lead to overall wellness. Include garden features that stimulate all of the senses:

• Sound: Suzannah has a bubbler fountain that emits the soothing sound of water. “I also like the crunchy sound of pea gravel underfoot,” she says.
• Sight: “I’m really drawn to light. I enjoy being in the garden late in the day when the sunlight is streaming through. One of my favorite things is seeing the water sparkle when sunlight hits the fountain,” says Suzannah.
• Taste: Grow a variety of edible plants. Suzannah cultivates many types of herbs and vegetables with different flavors.
• Smell: Suzannah grows plants with fragrance in different seasons. Hyacinth, lily-of-the-valley, peonies and lilac perfume the garden in spring, while the scents of roses, lilies, lavender and other herbs waft through the garden in summer. Lavender is known for its calming aroma.
• Touch: Suzannah grows an array of herbs, including thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage, basil, dill and fennel. “I like to touch the herbs as I walk by them to feel the texture of the leaves and release the fragrance,” says Suzannah.

Get more ideas for creating a sensory garden.

Hardscape elements including Arkansas flagstone, pea gravel, and brick are used throughout the yard to unify the landscape. ‘Ruby Falls’ redbud, with a weeping form and deep purple foliage, is a dramatic living focal point. A classic-style lattice arbor that connects the kitchen garden and swing garden helps draw the eye through this attractive scene. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

The small patio was recently renovated and expanded by removing the existing concrete slab and replacing it with Arkansas flagstone. Colorful annuals and perennials were planted around the perimeter. Evergreen arborvitae and oakleaf hydrangea provide privacy and separation from the rest of the yard, creating an intimate space. Photo by: Suzannah Dolanc-Pugh

Follow Suzannah’s gardening journey on Instagram at @ohsuzannahgardens

RELATED:
Growing Hydrangeas
How to Start a Flower Garden
An Ever-Changing Therapy Garden