The Healing Garden Project was born out of both memory and need. As a child, DeJuana Golden was first introduced to gardening by her grandparents, Rev. Larry E. and Dorothy Taylor, who laid the foundation for her love of growing food and tending the earth. Those early memories planted a seed of connection—to land, to wellness, and to community—that never left her.

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Later, gardening became a way of navigating her own personal struggles, including her grief and healing journey after losing her fiancé. DeJuana dreamed of creating something that would nourish communities and restore hope. Continuing this work in her fiancé's honor, gave the project a deeper layer of purpose: each garden is both a living memorial and a promise to carry forward a shared vision of growth, healing, and transformation.

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At the same time, DeJuana's professional path in nonprofits, grantmaking, and community agriculture highlighted the urgent need: neighborhoods most impacted by food insecurity and limited green spaces also lacked access to the mental wellness benefits that gardens provide. She saw how gardens could be more than food sources—they could be healing-centered sanctuaries.

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That’s where The Healing Garden Project began: at the intersection of her family legacy, personal healing journey, and a community need for spaces that bring nourishment, peace, and connection.