Somaya Reece on Healing, Wildflowers, and Why Gardening Is Mental Health Care for Latinas
For years, Somaya Reece was a familiar face on our screens and airwaves. A recording artist, entrepreneur, and actress, she built a career that spanned music, television, and business. But in the quiet of her California garden, she found something the spotlight couldn’t give her: peace. That stillness led her to write Seeds of Autumn, a self-published guide to wildflower gardening that doubles as a manifesto for healing.
“There wasn’t one specific moment. It was many little moments that made me realize that gardening truly fills my cup,” she told FIERCE. “Plant therapy is real. Healing through gardening is backed by science; plants heal the soul, nervous system, anxiety, depression, and stress.”
For Somaya Reece, gardening became a form of therapy
Gardening, Reece explained, gave her the same creative fulfillment she once found in music. “When I garden, I feel the same happiness, accomplishment, fulfillment, healing, and connection that I do when creating art,” she said.
One moment stands out in particular. She recalled writing a song in her garden when “an intense feeling of peace came over me, a calm so deep it brought tears to my eyes. It felt like a release! That’s when I knew I had to do something bigger, to help others feel the same healing and fulfillment, too.”
That feeling inspired Seeds of Autumn, which she described as her way of inviting others to experience gardening as a tool for healing.
Wildflowers as symbols of resilience
Reece often connects wildflowers to resilience. She views them as a reflection of how Latinas navigate the world.
“We Latinas were taught to be strong, not to complain, and to be the best caretakers for our families. But who takes care of us?” she asked. “In Seeds of Autumn, I write that each wildflower we grow is a reminder that beauty can rise from hard soil, just like we have.”
For her, planting is more than a hobby. “Every seed we plant becomes a small act of reclaiming peace, joy, and grounding in our everyday lives,” she said.
Gardening revealed new layers of healing
Although Reece has spent years creating art across industries, gardening revealed something new about her own well-being. “Gardening has shown me that healing doesn’t always have to happen in a therapist’s office. Sometimes it happens quietly (while gardening), almost like an aha moment,” she told FIERCE.
When she’s in the garden, she isn’t performing. “It’s just me and my plants. No edits,” she said. “Working in the garden helped me rebuild my nervous system, soothe my anxiety, and reconnect with my spirit in ways that felt deeply natural.”
Finding balance through the garden
Reece admitted that balance hasn’t always come naturally. “I was raised in a traditional Latin household where balance is unheard of, working is all we know, and rest is not looked at as healing or necessary,” she said.
Now, she makes time to slow down. “After a long day on set, talking to reporters, or walking a red carpet, some of that energy still lingers. The moment I get home, I head straight to the garden,” she said. “I turn on the fire pit, sit in silence, and just breathe. The sounds of nature and the scent of my roses instantly help me unwind.” Sometimes she adds Latin jazz, Bossa Nova, and a glass of wine.
“It’s essential for me! That quiet space is how I reset and stay grounded,” she explained.
Somaya Reece sees Seeds of Autumn as part of her legacy
Reece has built an empire across entertainment, business, and wellness. Yet she sees Seeds of Autumn as one of her most meaningful projects.
“Seeds of Autumn is more than a book; it’s my way of doing my part in inspiring others to heal, which is a huge part of what I want to leave behind as my legacy,” she said.
She added, “From an early age, it is generational down to our abuelas that we are taught to keep pushing and doing more. But I’ve learned that real growth also happens when we slow down. This project is my way of showing that rest and healing are just as powerful as hustle.”
As Reece’s lifestyle brand, This Fits Me, expands, she has been compared to “the Latina Martha Stewart.” She embraces that label. “Latinas deserve to be in that space,” she said. She hopes that Seeds of Autumn invites others to pause, plant, and create from a place of wholeness. “If it plants even one seed of healing, then I know I’ve done something meaningful that will last.”
