Andre, a patient at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, a state mental facility for criminal defendants, is in the greenhouse where horticulture therapy is used to help patients. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun) "Research shows that just being around plants can make people feel good, and mental health providers now believe working with greenery specifically offers benefits such as stress relief, anxiety reduction and aggression control. There is growing evidence that learning to care for plants also can boost self-esteem while providing work experience... Horticulture therapy is gaining traction beyond prisons and mental hospitals as well. Therapists are using it in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q_DESirXMw "When Brittany Davis’ hands are in the soil—her mind is free 'Being out here working with nature, it’s really been a healing factor for me,' said Davis. Davis is a United States Navy Veteran who comes from a family of American heroes. Joining the service was a given—knowing the correct ratio for soil and how to identify weed versus sprout? Not so much. 'We planted this, and it just keeps coming back,' Davis said. 'It’s one of the things I think people like about TALMAR. You don’t find this variety and it’s not even a spinach it’s part

WBFF photo- Maryland Moment: TALMAR (Ben Worsley/Fox 45) "(WBFF) - Dealing with the stresses of their service is a common concern for military members. With veteran's day just around the corner, photojournalist Ben Worsley introduces us to an army vet who has taken up farming, in tonight's Maryland Moment." View more (...)

Clockwise from left: Military veterans Dominus Blue, Dario DiBattista and Rachel Duff. CREDIT PROVIDED "Today we honor veterans. Serving in the military is one part of that identity, returning to civilian life is another -- one that many grapple with. Dario DiBattista, director at the Military and Veterans Center at Towson University, describes how the space provides community and support for student veterans. And Rachel Duff, a participant at MVC, urges people to see herself and her fellow vets more clearly: 'We all come from different backgrounds, and our service does not define us. We have concerns we have hopes, we

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0mNlGJ9wuI "BALTIMORE — The Veterans Affairs in Baltimore has long provided vocational training for veterans, but a new program is providing a career option in a unique and therapeutic way. 'You see me smiling. I definitely didn't have that not too long ago, program is giving me that that purpose,' Army veteran Dominus Blue said." - Continue reading (...)