LOS ANGELES ? All over Los Angeles, long-neglected pieces of land have been transformed into thriving urban gardens. A perfect example of this is the Veteran?s Garden, a 25-acre oasis housed on the grounds of the Veteran?s Administration Hospital in the heart of west Los Angeles.

In 1986, occupational therapist Ida Cousino started the Veteran?s Garden as a horticulture work therapy program.

The Vet?s Garden is designed to help patients reduce the need for psychiatric hospitalization while they learn new skills through vocational training. The program is unique within the VA system.

The philosophy of the program is to provide a healing, positive environment to rehabilitate veterans using actual hands-on work experience. Horticulture therapy motivates patients to develop new interests and combat depression that often accompanies disability.

The veterans receive occupational training in horticulture, landscaping and in small business operation. That?s because the Vet?s Garden is more than just a place for rehabilitation. It is operated completely by patients as a self-sustaining business.

?We are self-sustaining,? said Gary Smith, a former patient, who has been a Garden Supervisor for the past 10 years. ?The vets do everything that is necessary to take care of the plants: watering, feeding, pruning, weeding, everything. This is their rehabilitation; it?s physical and mental rehab.?

The vets raise organically grown produce, herbs, plants, and flowers. Besides the environmental factors, there?s a more practical reason they grow organically.

?We don?t spray any chemicals. We can?t because some veterans have been exposed to things like Agent Orange,? Smith said.

The vets sell greens and flowers, micro-greens, and fresh vegetables to local restaurants, and to the public. They also make floral arrangements for businesses, groups, and organizations.

During the summer, they sell their herbs and vegetables to the public at the entrance to the garden, and once a week they set up a stand on the steps of the Federal Building and at the medical center.

Because they don?t rely on the Veteran?s Administration to run the garden, the income from the garden goes to participating veterans as salaries, and they have received generous donations and grants.

This lack of funding doesn?t limit who gets into the program ?We don?t turn anybody away even though the hospital doesn?t pay. It?s all from donations and grants,? said Cousino.

Since its inception 18 years ago, 500 veterans have gone through the program. Cousino said that it?s been a great success. ?It?s something meaningful in their lives. It fills up the empty space inside of them. There is a lot of pride in it,? said Cousino.

?The garden helps us mentally, physically and spiritually,? said Smith. ?Now we have a purpose.?

SOCIAL SKILLS

It also provides participants with the social skills that many veterans lack. ?You have to learn social interaction since we do sell to the public. You are forced to interact, it?s your program and you?ve got to make it work,? Smith said.

The produce has also become highly coveted by many of LA?s trendiest restaurants. ?We always sell out, our crops are so good, and it shows that we are doing something valuable,? Cousino said.

?We?re all proud of the garden, we?re part of it, and it?s part of us. It?s absolutely wonderful,? said Smith.

The vets also give back to the community. ?We give plots to community food organizations, and we do donate over a ton of vegetables a year to local food banks,? said Cousino. They also provide training to developmentally disabled adults.

Ultimately it?s the vets that are getting something. ?You take a plant and give it some TLC and see it come back to life,? Smith said. ?That?s what we?re doing too, it?s a rebirth, a new life.?