Northlands College CEO Michael McCormick and Instructor Charlene Bosiak are seen sitting in the therapy garden. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)
peace and serenity

Therapy garden opens at Northlands College

Jun 26, 2025 | 5:24 PM

Northlands College has officially opened a therapy garden for all members of the public at its campus in Air Ronge.

The garden was designed and developed by Mental Health and Wellness Instructor Charlene Bosiak, who spearheaded the project after receiving a professional development grant to take the Master Gardener Course through the University of Saskatchewan.

“It’s a certificate and you take eight courses, and it is everything from gardening fundamentals, plant botany, pesticides, tree, bush and shrub identification, that type of stuff,” she said.

“It was really enjoyable, and then at the end of the course, you had to do a 40-hour practicum, so since the college paid for my course, I offered to pay them back and choose them first.”

Bosiak explained the creation of the garden was to make a place that promotes mental health and clarity. She noted nature can be very healing, adding the Japanese practice a concept called forest bathing with the goal of purifying the mind and soul.

“I thought I would do a place here where it is very serene and calm,” Bosiak remarked.

“People really enjoy it. It was a lot of work, a lot of shoveling woodchips and I am really looking forward to July when it really pops out. I really hope people enjoy it. I really enjoyed making it.”

The therapy garden will benefit staff and students for years to come. (Facebook/Northlands College)

The therapy garden marks the first public garden in Northern Saskatchewan that Bosiak is aware of. There are a variety of flowers, shrubs or bushes such as daffodils, crocus, tulips, gladiolus, tiger lilies, and day lilies. There are also several species of trees like haskaps, Saskatoons, a plum-cherry hybrid, cherry trees and three different varieties of apple. They are all designed to withstand the cold winter climate in the region.

The cost of the project is approximately $2,600, in addition to the flowerbeds and benches built and funded by Northlands College. It will need minimal tending to during the summer months as it was built to be as self-sustainable as possible.

“The woodchips, what it does is hold in the moisture,” Bosiak said.

“It gives the beneficial insects some habitat and it also helps compost nutrients back into the soil. On top of that, by mulching, you suppress the weeds, so for the most part, there’s going to be very minimal weeding. You just have to top up the woodchips every five to seven years.”

Northlands College CEO Michael McCormick is among those who are impressed with the new therapy garden. He said it will provide a beautiful natural habitat that will benefit staff and students for many years to come.

“I think Charlene did a fantastic job,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of sweat and energy, but also of energy into planning, and also the benefits it is offering to the college, our students, our staff and just the beauty it brings to our campus.”

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

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