This Seattle Times story features Self Space therapist Emily West in a discussion of the ways in which gardening can help people deal with grief and loss.

From “How grief gardening helped two PNWers cope with loss” by Misha Valencia in The Seattle Times.

When Mike Hawley and his family moved into a new house in Bothell last summer, he inherited a spacious garden from the previous owners. Hawley, a father of two and an IT analyst, had limited experience with gardening, but he began learning about all of the different plants and took over caring for the garden. After the painful loss of two close family members earlier this year, Hawley found that gardening helped him cope with his grief.

“There is a therapeutic aspect to being out in the garden — it can be calming and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness,” Hawley said.

Hawley’s experience is not uncommon and even has its own name: grief gardening.

Tending to plants — whether outdoors in a backyard or indoors with a collection of houseplants — when we are mourning can be a powerful way to work through our emotions. Grief experts report that gardening has various therapeutic benefits during times of distress, including reducing anxiety and providing a sense of comfort, restoration and purpose.

Although grief is unique to every person, emotions are often intense, isolating and disorienting, said Rebecca Mullins, a certified grief and trauma coach in Seattle.

“Gardening can be a way to channel these feelings,” she said. “It engages the senses — the smell of the flowers, the texture of the soil, the different plant colors — all of this can be grounding and provide a healthy distraction during stressful times.”

The Seattle Times: How grief gardening helped two PNWers cope with loss