Abstract
Gardening is an age-old practice that has well-documented benefits for health and wellness (Koay & Dillon, 2020; Okvat & Sutra 2011; Thompson, 2018). Recent psychological research has emphasized the connection between nature and overall human wellbeing. There is also a rich and layered cultural history for Black people in the United States with gardening and land tending (White, 2018). However, there is limited psychological research that explores the ways in which Black people in the United States have used gardening as a healing and wellness practice.
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Black gardeners in Minnesota and how they used gardening as a healing and wellness practice. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to make meaning of the practice of gardening for participants (Smith et al., 2012). Participants shared their experiences through interviews in their gardening spaces and photographs of their gardens enriched the analysis process.
Six participants were interviewed for this study. All self-identified as Black and resided in Minnesota. They had varying backgrounds in terms of immigration and length of gardening practice, ranging from 2 years to over 40 years. Five participants identified as men and one as a woman. Ages ranged from 32 years old to 70 years old for four participants, the ages of two participants were not gathered.
From data analysis, themes of Interpersonal Connection, Process of Gardening, and Heritage arose. The theme of Interpersonal Connection that explored the ways gardening facilitated connection to other people, was organized into two subthemes: Deepening Relationships and Building Community. The Process of Gardening which explored the felt experiences of gardening was organized into four subthemes: Growth from Challenge and Creativity, Refuge/Relaxation, Appreciation of Earth and Beauty, and Wonderfulness of Fruits/Vegetables. The third theme of Heritage encapsulated two subthemes: Tradition and Critical Consciousness. These findings support that gardening is a health- and wellness-promoting activity for Black people and there are unique, culturally rooted experiences associated with gardening for Black people in the United States.