If you’ve spent any time in a garden — even just a moment with your hands in the dirt or your eyes tracing the veins of a leaf — then you’ve likely felt it: the healing power of nature.
As you’ve probably gathered if you’ve followed my work — from blog posts and story collections to our beloved GreenPrints magazine — I believe deeply in the power of the green and growing world to feed not only our bodies, but our minds and spirits as well. I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to live in a place where forests, farms, beaches, and village gardens intertwine like an old friend’s comforting embrace. And I’ve come to believe that the natural world is not just around us — it’s within us.
That belief is at the heart of our newest story collection: Nurtured by Nature: 21 Stories of Healing Gardens.
These stories are personal. They are profound. And at times, they’re delightfully peculiar (you’ll see what I mean when you read Chickens and Coleus). They speak to the unspoken bond we share with plants, with seasons, and with the act of growing — even in the face of grief, hardship, or change.
When we put together this collection, I revisited more than 2,000 submissions from our community of gardeners. Stories that made me laugh, cry, or sit quietly and stare at the trees outside my office window for a little longer than usual. Stories that reminded me of my own childhood garden mishaps, the advice my mother would give when I had a rough day (“Turn that frown upside down!”), and the solace I find now when tending to basil or pulling weeds with a cup of coffee in hand.
Highlights include:
- “Losing the Lucky Frog” – A reminder that every creature in the garden has its moment and meaning.
- “Love and Daffodils Forever” – A gentle tale of love planted deep and blooming eternally.
- “The Sole in My Father’s Garden” – A touching tribute to a father’s legacy and the shoes left behind.
- “A Veteran’s Garden” – A powerful reminder that some scars heal best in the soil.
- “Nature Heals” – A title that says it all.
This collection isn’t just a set of stories — it’s a balm. A gentle whisper from nature reminding us: You are part of something bigger. You are growing too.
If you, like me, turn to your garden when the world gets heavy, or if you simply want a few moments of calm, beauty, and heartfelt storytelling, I invite you to explore this newest GreenPrints collection.
Click here to view the full table of contents and get immediate access to Nurtured by Nature.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or someone who just likes the smell of rosemary on your fingertips, I hope these stories offer you comfort, laughter, and a renewed sense of connection — to your garden and to yourself.
Here’s to growing through what we go through.
