Rooted in Wellness: A Toxin-Free Garden for Healing and Harmony
What began as a health-focused garden makeover turned into a flourishing space full of life, love, and healing energy—for her family and beyond.
Submitted by: Christina, Gig Harbor, WA, Zone 8b
Years ago, while raising two little boys, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though I never used harsh or toxic products in my home or garden, I knew I needed to take that a few steps further. I wanted our home and garden to be as free from harmful toxins as possible—so I went out to the garden to begin.
We ripped out a large, sprawling lawn that needed mowing, fertilizing, and way too much water to maintain. We replaced the turf with creeping, flowering thyme and surrounded it with a beautiful, meandering perennial border and a small veggie garden.
Before I knew it, the yard and garden were filled with songbirds, pollinators of all kinds, frogs, garden snakes, native squirrels—and yes, the occasional deer and bunny. Everything just came alive. It became a great source of peace, healing, and beauty for our whole family.
I had so many flowers that I began making and selling fresh, organic bouquets to local restaurants, medical offices, and a few businesses looking for non-toxic flowers for their spaces. Sharing flowers from my garden was very healing—and fun!
Probably my biggest challenge was our very sandy soil, which I amended over the years with kitchen and garden waste. That helped reduce the need for fertilizer and water. (Oh—and it helped that I had a couple little goats to assist with the fertilizer!)
More pictures from Christina's garden:
