[StBernard] Gardening can be a path to serenity

[Westley Annis]

Gardening can be a path to serenity
Thursday, March 06, 2008By Earl Hodges
When Kenny Forsyth finally returned to his Violet home after Hurricane
Katrina, he became depressed. 

"I looked at my lawn and it was brown and everything around me seemed so
brown and dying," Forsyth said. "I became very depressed." 

Forsyth found the perfect therapy for his depression when he bought a
greenhouse and began growing flowers and vegetables. 

"I've enjoyed watching seeds grow and that has been good therapy," Forsyth
said. "It also gets me outside for exercise. I used to be a couch potato." 

After buying his greenhouse, Forsyth learned there is a national
organization called the Hobby Greenhouse Association. Now, he's forming a
St. Bernard Parish chapter for people who are interested in growing plants
year-round. 

"You don't have to have a greenhouse," Forsyth said. "The club will be open
to anyone who has an interest in growing plants, including those who may
have a window box garden." 

The Hobby Greenhouse Association is a nonprofit organization for people who
enjoy growing ornamental and edible plants year-round, Forsyth said. The
association was formed in 1976 and has 1,500 members nationwide. 

For Forsyth, year-round gardening has provided a sense of peace and
serenity. 

"Before I got my greenhouse I wasn't interested in gardening at all," he
said. "But it has really helped calm me. Now I hope I can get other people
interested in gardening." 

For more information about the St. Bernard Parish Chapter of the Hobby
Greenhouse Association, contact Forsyth at (504) 439-9941. 

. . . . . . . 

Earl Hodges writes about clubs in St. Bernard. He can be reached at (504)
887-4731 or earlhodges at msn.com.