Growth in Gardening: Veteran Edward Beale has Reaped a Harvest

For the past 3 years, Edward Beale, with the help of the Atlanta VA Health Care System’s Whole Health team, has truly reaped what he has sown, in more ways than one, through gardening. 

“I was looking for whatever I could find to help me with my PTSD; you know I was looking for any type of relief,” admitted the 20-year Air Force retiree. Soon things changed. “I got into it and I got comfortable.” 

Being from Chicago, Beale confesses he knew nothing about gardening. “I didn't know anything about fertilizing. I didn’t know anything about growing from seeds – nothing.” 

Beale’s gardening journey began with a visit to the Atlanta VAHCS’s Whole Health team. He was introduced to the Whole Health Gardening Group, led by Kelly Fripps, Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program Manager and Charolette Hamilton, a Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist. 

This is when Beale started Project GROW, a 5-week virtual gardening course. It is a learning series for teaching methods to grow food and share the mental health benefits of growing plants. Participants also benefit from the opportunity to connect with other individuals who enjoy plants. Little did he know, he would grow with these people.

“They are still with me. I can e-mail them, send pictures or whatever, ask them a question, even though I finished the classes, they did not just kick me to the curb,” said Beale. “They're steady with me. If I have a question, they're gonna answer it.” 

Healing by learning 

Beale has grown several crops over the years including tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, strawberries, watermelons, cantaloupe, string beans or pole beans, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, red potatoes, collard greens kale and spinach. 

“If I get triggered for something, I go down into the garden and start fiddling around, that's just keeps me chill. Each year I've been learning different things and it's all coming off of the class and it's all by trial and error.” 

Beale shared an example of the "error" mentioned, noting that his first corn crop did not produce expected results. 

“I tried different things like this year I tried to grow corn.  I didn't get nothing out of it, but I learned something. So, I don't call that a loss, I don't call that a failure,” he wisely said.  “I found that to be a success because I learned from it.” 

In Beale’s opinion, PTSD hinders many from moving outside of their comfort zones. “We get into that hole, and we get comfortable being in that hole, and don't want to come out of it. Gardening helped me come out of that.” 

Sharing the growth 

Beale, who also spent 20 years with the Department of Homeland Security, realizes his gardening is not only helping him but also helps his community. He often shares his bounty with neighbors and family. 

“A lot of the stuff that I grow, I'm finding that I give away to my neighbors and my family. I don't have much family here, but my neighbors, they can't wait. I bring stuff in the house and it's like okay I can't eat all of it, so I give it to the neighbors,” said Beale. 

His crops are not the only thing he is sharing now. He joined a Veterans’ fishing organization where he volunteers to take Veterans fishing. 

“I'm getting out to start fishing now which is something I did just about every week,” said Beale. “I'm going back fishing and now I'm helping taking Veterans.” 

Beale says the gardening program helped bring him out of his shell but he understands it’s not for everyone. 

“Knowing that I can take the information that they provided me and I can now grow stuff from a seed and bear fruit, that in itself is therapeutic. It's not for everybody and that's why so many things are available and it's so important that the VA offers stuff like that in different varieties for the Veterans that have PTSD. I just happen to find it in gardening.” 

While digging is a part of the gardening process, rising is just as important. 

“It allowed me to get to a place where I was able to, I should say, come out of my hole.”

Learn more on how to start your Whole Health journey or contact the Atlanta VAHCS at .