Hola my name is Jackie but I also go by Jack. I am a Registered Nurse that no longer practices due to chronic illness. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 20yrs old and it eventually led to a relapse that changed my life. It eventually led to me to hang up my Stethescope and stop nursing. I fell down the rabbithole of deep depression and anger as I dreamed of being a nurse all my life.

It would take a lot to dig myself out of that. Meanwhile, I was diagnosed with Adhd combined type and Bipolar 2. As my health stabilized, I decided to get back to the Puerto Rican family gardening roots to fill my time and to ease my irritability from severe boredom and muscle stiffness. Being that I was always surrounded by my dad’s gardening family bug, it was natural for me to pick up gardening again. My dad saw how much I wanted to garden but city life was not accommodating at all so we packed up, left Jersey and moved to the Poconos of Pennsylvania for full immersion of nature.

I use Gardening, houseplants and TONS of humor to help cope with the everyday life of having chronic mental and physical illness as horticulture therapy. We can learn a lot about ourselves as well as finding ways to cope with stress and mood changes while learning new life skills. Gardening is my therapy. Let’s grow our happiness one plant at a time.