From the Philippines to the U.S., Vanessa Veridiano-Powell lives out her passion through her business, 'My Dream Garden'
ALLEN PARK — It took St. Frances Cabrini parishioner Vanessa Veridiano-Powell six years of trial and error to figure out how to garden successfully in the United States. Her goal is not only to eliminate obstacles and shorten the journey to a full, thriving garden for her customers, but also to show them what gardening can teach them about life and faith.
Veridiano-Powell’s “Your Dream Garden” business's mission is to help her customers view “gardening as a way of life” and not just another obstacle or chore to tackle. She does this through consultation services and guidance, which she hopes will make gardening fruitful for her clients in one year.
Originally from the Philippines, Veridiano-Powell grew up seeing family members tend to their all-season gardens in the verdant, tropical climate. After marrying her husband and moving to her home in Allen Park, she began building her garden from the ground up in her small backyard as she learned the rhythm of the seasons and moody Michigan weather.
In 2020, with her then 4-year-old son out of school because the COVID-19 pandemic, Veridiano-Powell began attending to her garden earnestly, teaching him and learning more herself.
“It became my passion, and I thought, ‘Well, if I can do this, I can help others learn how to do this, too,’” Veridiano-Powell explained. “I realized there is more to learn other than how to grow things; gardening teaches you about life as well. I wanted that feeling to be shared with other people that gardening is more than just trying to keep things alive: it teaches you patience, it teaches you the seasons … it teaches you a lot of other things apart from growing your own food and actually bringing it to your table and having that pride in yourself that you have grown something and are feeding your family something healthy.”
Gardening is a way of life, which can be slower, more intentional, and filled with patience, Veridiano-Powell added.
The world become accustomed to “instant” results, Veridiano-Powell says. However, she hopes to impart the idea that there is more to life than a constantly full schedule.
“I wanted to offer this service of something different; yes, it requires time and a little bit of money, but it gives back. The garden gives back to you,” Veridiano-Powell said.
There are parallels to her Catholic faith, Veridiano-Powell said.
“You don’t just sit and pray and hope that all things will get better — everything takes work. Our faith takes work. If there is one thing that our faith and the garden have in common, it is the patience and the time it takes for something to grow, and when you've grown it and see the fruits of your labor, you will feel that sense of accomplishment and that sense of peace in the end.”
The most recent addition to Veridiano-Powell’s personal garden is a small Marian garden, which she established after her mother passed away.
“We always had a grotto back in the Philippines, and when she would come to visit here, she would say, ‘I love your vegetable garden, but I wish you had a grotto,’” Veridiano-Powell said.
Veridiano-Powell had always planned her garden with Marian grotto in mind, but she did not find the perfect statue of Our Lady until after her mother passed. She recently ordered a memorial stone with her mother’s name to include in the grotto. She has intentionally incorporated flowers into the vegetable garden in her mother’s honor.
“The grotto is part of my devotion to Mary and memory of my mother,” Veridiano-Powell added.
As she was grieving her mother’s passing, Veridiano-Powell joined a grief sharing group at St. Frances Cabrini Parish, but she also discovered that gardening helped her cope with her grief. This experience has inspired her, and she would like to find a way to help others find consolation through tending kitchen or Marian gardens.
“This could be a different approach for someone who maybe doesn’t want to talk too much or interact, or explain how they are feeling verbally. One way you can do it is to garden; I know it helped me,” Veridiano-Powell said. “One aspect of faith is you can’t keep that grief inside all the time.”
Veridiano-Powell likes to spend mornings with good weather praying in her Marian garden with a cup of coffee in hand. She added that gardening can be like a prayer in itself.
“When I want to pray about something and I don’t know the words, I am like, ‘OK, I will just spend my time in the garden,’” Veridiano-Powell said. “I don’t know the words, but I will work with my hands, and for the most part, I will get either answers or ideas of ways to move forward and make things better.”
