Season 3 Episode 5 – with Kelly Warnick, , founder/owner of Horticulture 4 Health and President-Elect of American Horticulture Therapeutic Association

In this episode of Keeping It Green, the team explores the healing power of plants with guest Kelly Warnick—founder and owner of Horticulture 4 Health and President-Elect of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Kelly shares her journey from working in greenhouse production and retail garden centers she starts to observe the connection between people and plants. She opens up about a personal experience involving a family member and their encounter with a healing garden. Backed by science, Kelly highlights the therapeutic benefits of plants—from speeding up recovery times and boosting serotonin levels to lowering blood pressure. She also walks us through the essential elements of a therapeutic garden, emphasizing the importance of sensory-rich plants: soft textures like lamb’s ear, fragrant herbs like lavender, vibrant colors, and even the soothing sounds of grasses swaying in the breeze.

Episode Hosts/Speakers:

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)

Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension (host)

Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)

Kelly Warnick, founder and owner of Horticulture 4 Health and President-Elect of the American Horticultural Therapy Association

Caption – photo provided by Tom Butzler

Keeping It Green has an email: keepingitgreen@psu.edu
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