“As a clinician, being about to provide a truly unique space for healing is a powerful thing. The Tell the Bees Garden has afforded our clients the opportunity to participate in and plant something both useful and beautiful, and encouraged both growth and recovery in those who are in our care. The garden has also become a therapeutic tool, whether is being used as a meditative space for reflection, an area for practicing mindfulness, or as a safe location for clients to face and process tough emotions.
The best aspect of the garden, however, is how each individual sees it in a different way and comes up with their own unique way to experience and utilize the space. The garden means something different for each person, but it adds to everyone’s journey.”
– Curtis Adams, Program Director, Charles River Recovery
Tell the Bees has partnered with Charles River Recovery to establish a Tell the Bees Garden on the Charles River Recovery campus, with planting completed earlier this summer.
Patients from Charles River Recovery played a central role in planting the garden, actively participating from the initial stages of preparing the soil to planting, and continue to engage consistently in its ongoing care and maintenance.
Gardening and interaction with nature have been demonstrated through extensive research to provide significant therapeutic benefits for individuals in recovery. Regularly tending plants can reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, and mitigate symptoms of depression. This practice fosters emotional resilience, enhances mindfulness, and strengthens a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
By caring for and nurturing the plants, patients experience firsthand a living representation of growth and renewal, closely paralleling their own personal journeys toward healing and recovery.
The Tell the Bees garden also specifically integrates native, pollinator-friendly plants designed to attract and sustain vital pollinator species, many of which face ongoing environmental threats. This careful selection of plants supports ecological resilience and contributes meaningfully to local biodiversity.
The mission of Tell the Bees—to cultivate restorative gardens that promote emotional healing, strengthen community connections, and support ecological balance—aligns seamlessly with Charles River Recovery’s mission of providing high-quality, evidence-based substance use treatment. Both organizations are committed to meeting the evolving physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals in recovery within a compassionate and supportive environment, driven by continuous improvement.
Through this meaningful collaboration, Tell the Bees and Charles River Recovery aim to enhance patient recovery experiences while simultaneously nurturing and protecting local ecosystems.