South Texas VA highlights its Inpatient Mental Health Garden

Planted last month and housed in the Mental Health Unit, the garden features lavender, basil, lemon mint, mint, banana peppers, sweet green peppers, zucchini, potato plants and marigolds. The initiative is part of the VA’s Recovery Model, a model designed to serve Veterans with mental illness, and was made possible by a collaborative team that includes Dr. Pressana Parackal, Ms. Regina Karakkatt (known as the unit’s gardening expert), Dr. Betsy Davis, Ms. Sheila Sasser, and supporting staff from across the hospital.

The garden has already made a meaningful impact. Staff enjoy watering the plants and smelling the herbs, while Veterans find purpose and calmness by assisting with the garden. Patients have shared personal gardening memories, checked on the growth of peppers, and bonded with peers and staff over the joys of nature.

For many, the garden has become a space of healing. One patient experiencing psychosis found comfort and relaxation tending to the plants. Others have enjoyed simply sitting nearby, soaking in the beauty of scents. This grassroots effort has not only benefited our South Texas VA Veterans but has also brought a combined joy and connection to the South Texas staff. As Ms. Sheila Sasser shared, “It all started with an idea from Dr. Davis and a trip to Home Depot.”