Introducing...
Basker is here, plus a whole lot more!
Hello!
In December, I graduated from Horticultural Therapy school - and I’m officially a HT practitioner! And this week, I launched my new company (and website), Basker, where I help people use gardening and nature for mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being.
On the site, I give a pretty thorough review of what Horticultural Therapy is, along with some pretty great research to back up how gardening and nature-based activities can help in unexpected ways.
I offer private, group, and workplace well-being sessions, and have a virtual one-on-one experience where you can learn how to grow cut flowers (one of my favorite ways to practice HT). I know this practice is new to many, so I also offer a free phone consult to see if it’s a fit.
Basker won’t be on social media, so all updates will be via the newsletter (my new podcast will be launching there this Spring, too!). It was a tough decision to stay off social, but if I’m offering services and support to help people feel good, I don’t want to send them to a place that has the potential to make them feel bad.
I do understand that people like to see more of the “real life” photos you’d find on social, so I created a Basker Feed on my site, which I’ll update weekly. I still love to share, just not on social.
If you have any questions about how we could work together or want to learn more, email hello@baskergardens.com. Or reply to this email.
Alright, back to business here…I have a Freak My Week roundup below. New cookbook recipes coming soon!
See you next month.
Love,
Jessica
The Things That Freaked My Week
Some things I’m currently into…
Brother Orange
I cannot wait to see this new doc from Abe Forman-Greenwald.
You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby
I love this book so much. I think so many of us are feeling overwhelmed, burnt, and sad lately from news and life lately. When you’re feeling that way, cooking / feeding yourself can feel like the ultimate chore. Margaret gives pep talks and recipes to make it easier. We do need fuel to survive and feel more hopeful.
Mustard x Mustard
Ha. Ha.
Balerina Zinnias
I have a love / hate relationship with Zinnias. They are so stunning, but get so ratty come mid-July in the heat and humidity. But I couldn’t resist these new ones from Johnny’s, they’re just so good. I’m going to plant double the cosmos in front of them, so hopefully that shields the rattiness a bit. Also, I might not even care about the rattiness with how pretty these blooms are.
Deleting My Instagram
Between Grandpa Brian’s confessions of deception and emotional manipulation (so creepy) and Meta’s policy and political moves…I wanted off. But I still wanted all of my photos. So, last week, I requested all of my data from IG.
They sent me all my photos and data to a Google Drive. Opening that Google Drive was weird (to say the least). There were about 20 files of data they’d collected on me, along with two folders of images.
Folder One was all the images I’d posted over the years. And Folder Two contained porn images and memes from the darkest corners of the internet. How did this happen? Not sure. My only guess is that with all the data they have…someone else’s got mixed into mine. Regardless, it was gross, felt violating, and confirmed my decision to leave. I wiped my IG account and now just have one post up about Basker…until Google indexes my new site to make it searchable.
They make it hard to figure out how to download all of your data to leave. So if you’re considering it, reply to this email and I’ll send you screenshots of exactly how to do it!
Speaking of…I loved this piece.
Are Americans Doing Fitness Wrong via NYT
My broken ankle has finally healed and has me thinking about how I want to move my body again…
Photos of myself make me shudder in horror. Does that mean I’m hideous? via The Guardian
I love everything Jessica DeFino writes.
Jacquemus (love how everything is shot on an iPhone)
Give me everything from the new collection. Especially, THIS COAT.
And some books by me:
One Part Plant: A Guide to Eating Real One Meal At a Time (sorry for the Amazon link, but OPP is backordered on Bookshop and Barnes + Noble)
Know Your Endo: An Empowering Guide To Health + Hope With Endometriosis
Congratulations on becoming a Horticultural Therapy practitioner, your new site, and decision to get off social media. You are always such a breath of fresh air❤️ Miss seeing y’all!
Congratulations! I'm so excited about your new venture!