On a day when Vanessa Bunnell watched local nursing home residents respond to a ginkgo biloba plant, she saw more than landscaping. She saw possibility.
It came in the delighted expression of one participant who sat quietly with the plant during an annual weeklong program she coordinated.
“It was like, ‘This is my heaven on earth,’” Bunnell said.
That moment planted a seed. “The ginkgo biloba stands for prosperity and hope,” Bunnell said. “I thought, ‘he only spends one week a year here.’”
The emotional and therapeutic benefits were clear, and the moment helped to shape Bunnell’s larger goal: to make therapeutic horticulture more mainstream.
“I always knew plants made people happy; then I started studying why,” she said. “If we all took a step in that direction, the impact we would have is immense.”
This spring, Bunnell graduates from Southern with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, a program that helped her connect the once-separate parts of her life. A certified landscaper, horticulturist, and small business owner, Bunnell designed a program that combined business administration, horticulture, recreation, and wellness.
She earned her associate degree in horticulture and a certificate in landscape design at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) — juggling caregiving with school in those earlier days. “I don’t know how I did it,” she said. Then she spent 15 years in a retail garden center job before deciding it was time to pivot to something more. That’s when she found Southern’s Interdisciplinary Studies program.
“I was so afraid to go back to school as an adult, but I loved it. I loved being able to take a variety of subjects that impact what I do but never thought they would be in the realm of what I’m doing now,” she said.
She also turned doubt into fuel. When people questioned whether retail gardening counted as serious experience, or suggested she was not an artist, she kept going.
Her balancing act at Southern added coursework to motherhood, business, and community volunteer work. Now she sees how all the challenges played a role.
“We need those steps along the way, the confidence we gain, the relationships, the networking. We aren’t aware of it at the time,” she said.
Bunnell’s fascination with plants began in childhood, when a neighbor taught her and her brother to identify plant life. “He turned our backyard into a place of discovery,” she said. “His knowledge sparked a deep curiosity and excitement about the natural world.”
The spark continued. In college, her path took shape gradually. Like many students, she changed majors before finding her passion.
Bunnell’s drive to create her individualized degree grew from her desire to combine specific disciplines where a traditional major was lacking. She combined her interests, pursued national certification, and added geriatric care. At Southern, those pursuits became a Bachelor of Science degree that brought her journey full circle.
As her faculty mentor, Dr. Erin Larkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, noticed Bunnell’s gift for creating connections with people through her love of horticulture. When Bunnell presented her capstone project research on therapeutic horticulture, she showed how a love of plants can help people express themselves and enhance their wellness.
“She brought her plants with her, put the plants in front of each audience member and observed how they interacted with them,” Larkin said. “She wanted to connect with them, and to get them to think about their own well-being.”
One attendee recalled how the scent of basil reminded him of his grandfather’s garden. Another attendee loved the calming idea of getting her hands in the soil. Bunnell’s project also showed what Southern’s Interdisciplinary Studies program makes possible: a degree shaped around connected interests and real-world purpose.
“It shows real agency on the student’s part,” Larkin said, adding that programs like Bunnell’s often evolve into formalized curriculum years later.
While she immersed herself in her studies, Bunnell’s growing credentials led to an invitation to speak at a symposium for women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at her first alma mater, NVCC.
“She’s a shining example that there’s always a second act for students,” Larkin said. “There are supports that enable them to complete their degree in a way that’s exciting. It can lead to professional advancement but also lead them on a path that is ultimately more satisfying for them.”
When Bunnell accepts her diploma, it will mark another step forward in bringing her inspired curiosity to others. She is exploring ways to share her expertise with students who may be looking to connect their own interests to a meaningful academic path. Helping students find their own interdisciplinary direction may be Bunnell’s next calling, she said.
“We’re really only here for a short period of time. There’s too much hate in the world. Let’s do something that makes people smile,” she said. “There’s very minimal angst when it comes to plants.”
