Outskirts Press, INC.

One Daughter’s

Inspiring Story

of Feeding the Body and Soul

In 2006, Barbara Henderson became one of the estimated 10 million Americans caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. For Henderson, one of the hardest parts was witnessing her mother’s sense of loss—of her independence, her past and her home. That’s when she began a little experiment. And it started right in her own backyard. On a small plot of land at her Florida home, Henderson planted herbs, tomatoes, arugula, squash and more. The idea was to give her mother something to grasp onto from her past in the form of her once-beloved garden. But what happened next surpassed all expectations—and provided enduring hope for achieving healing and transformation, against all odds. Honest, heartfelt and unflinchingly real, Backyard Musings of an Organic Dabbler is part memoir, part gardening treatise. This powerful book explores the ability of homegrown fruits, vegetables and herbs to improve our bodies and minds and bring us closer together. Inside, you’ll meet more than 60 easy-to-grow herbs, along with their benefits and suggested uses. Discover gift ideas, harvest tips, unique recipes, and a captivating journey of love that grows as well as a burgeoning backyard garden.

Excerpts from various sections of the book..





The latest is that some lady who looks very much like my mother or her sister has moved into her dresser mirror, and will not leave. Mother cannot figure where the entrance door to the mirror is located. She often sits for hours trying to catch the woman sneaking back into the mirror..





This morning she was looking for something to put in the small crack between the mirror and the top of the dresser...seems the friend in the mirror has been taking things.



The garden in Florida originally came about because I was trying to help my mother find something to be happy about or something she could identify with (she was always susceptible to depression).





Mother and I both love the garden and on some level we both fully understand the power of nature to heal.



You can create your own fairy tale setting in one afternoon by planting an herb garden in your back yard. No matter how small the garden, you will find it fun and exciting. What could be better than being out in nature, having fun while creating your own magical organic garden? Most herbs are small and pretty hardy. Remember they are just natural weeds or wild plants. They are pleasing to the eye and we enjoy them in so many ways. You may want to begin by putting your herbs in a nice planter along with some marigolds and flowering herbs for a touch of beauty and color. I like to place my small planters on an area of my porch that gets the morning sun. They always thrive there, and when the cats pass by they brush against them. And when I touch them as I enter the door I enjoy their wonderful fragrant smells