Join us for a conversation with Dr. Sue Stuart-Smith, author of “The Well Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature,” as she discusses her 2021 book on the power of gardening. The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth, we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Drawing on her grandfather’s return from World War I, Sigmund Freud’s obsession with flowers, and interviews with people from gardening projects in prisons, hospitals, and in the community, Sue will discuss how gardening can answer deep existential needs and present findings from recent research showing that connecting to nature alleviates symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.

Come for the lecture and stay for lunch at Martha Lee’s Kitchen!

Program is free with admission.