Colleen, Jeremy and Christian bounce from the greenhouse, proudly displaying the moss rose, squash and radishes they started from seed.

"Look at my radishes," Jeremy beams.

The enthusiastic trio of residents at Helena's Shodair Children's Hospital then run to the tool shed for shovels to dig out some garlic cloves.

"Gardening's pretty cool. My mom and I do it at home," Colleen says. "I like digging. And I like eating the vegetables."

Shodair - which treats children and adolescents in Montana who suffer from emotional, mental and behavior problems - has used gardening as part of its recreational therapy program for more than 10 years, according to Lynette Presley, a recreational therapist who founded and runs the garden.

It's clearly a popular program, and Presley said she thinks it helps the children who participate in a number of ways.

For some, getting out in the garden brings back positive memories of having gardened at home. It helps reinforce the positive times, Presley said - and in some cases some of the few positive memories the children have are from gardening.

"These guys just thrive on it," she said.

Another benefit is that working with the vegetables is having a positive impact on many kids' diets. Some who refuse to eat salad with their meals will pick and eat lettuce straight from the garden. Some have never eaten fresh produce before and are surprised at how much they enjoy it.

The garden has roughly tripled in size since its first year, and just about every year there are new additions. Five years ago, a fence was built around it, and the tiny greenhouse on the grounds was built three years ago.

New this year are a cherry tree and an apple tree, but Presley said there hasn't been any harvest from them yet - except for what the deer have harvested for themselves.

The garden is completely self-sufficient, with a sale of produce collected at harvest each fall helping pay for plant starts and equipment.

This year, there is enough money for the hospital to buy a new rototiller instead of renting one every year as has been done in the past.

Soon, there will be a new barrel composter, to be purchased with grant money the hospital received to promote healthy eating.

The garden is completely organic, Presley said, mulched and composted with grass clippings and leaves from the Shodair grounds and brought in by staff members.

Natural solutions have also been developed to discourage the rabbits, deer and other creatures that share the garden from devouring the entire harvest. The kids don't don't mind sharing, Presley said, as long as not too many of the strawberries and raspberries are eaten.

Children from the hospital are allowed to work in the garden during recreational therapy group sessions, Presley said. Work they do includes pulling weeds, preparing the soil, planting starts and mulching.

Kids can grow their own plants from seed in the greenhouse and take them home with them when they leave the hospital. If the children don't have a place at home to plant them, Presley will plant them in the Shodair garden. She said it's reassuring for them to know their plants won't die when they leave.

Many of the kids have gotten so enthusiastic about gardening they are working on their families to start gardens when they get home.

"They get really enthusiastic about things that they have control over," Presley said. "It's fascinating to watch them get so enthusiastic about something most people think of as a hobby or a supplement to their food."

Editor's Note: Only first names of patients are used in this story to protect the identities of patients.

Features editor Joe Menden: 447-4087 or joe.menden@helenair.com