In this fast-paced world, finding solace and rejuvenation in the simple act of gardening can be profoundly therapeutic. Gardens not only provide floral beauty and fresh produce, but they also foster profound health benefits. Gardening is an activity that nourishes body and soul.
Here are some key benefits of gardening:
1. Promotes fitness: Gardening involves a range of physical activities providing an excellent workout. It promotes functional fitness, exercise that supports your everyday life, such as squating, stooping, pulling, reaching, digging, and more.
2. Improves gut health: Playing in the dirt can make you feel like a kid again. According to the New York Times article Do You Spend Enough Time in the Dirt?, dirt is good for you! It reduces inflammation, improves your immune system and promotes a healthier biome.
3. Improves mental health: The sights, sounds, and smells of the garden can help to lower stress levels and improve mental health. Gardening can reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, leading to a greater sense of well-being. And the act of caring for plants and watching them grow can instill a sense of purpose and accomplishment, boosting self-esteem and confidence.
4. Builds connection to nature: Gardening offers an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world, fostering a deeper appreciation for the environment and our place within it. The Mayo Clinic Health Systems cites that “gardeners are more likely to include vegetables as part of healthy, well-balanced diets.”
How to Start Gardening: A Step-by-Step Guide
The best time of year to start a garden is either in the Spring (March, April, May) or Fall (September, October, November). Here’s a guide to help you get started on cultivating your own garden:
1. Start Small: Don’t feel overwhelmed by the prospect of transforming your entire yard overnight. Start small by identifying a single bed or a few containers that you can dedicate to your garden. Find a spot that you can see from inside your home so you can enjoy the beauty all day. Also, make sure it’s a space where you can relax while you’re outside.
2. Prepare the Soil: Good soil is the foundation of a successful garden. Before planting, take the time to amend your soil with compost or other organic matter. Local garden centers or nurseries can provide guidance on soil testing and recommendations for soil amendments.
3. Choose Your Plants: Decide what you want to grow based on your interests, climate, and available space. Whether you’re interested in growing flowers, vegetables, herbs, or a combination of all three, choose plants that are well-suited to your local growing conditions. Perennials are a great choice as they grow year round.
4. Plant and Care for Your Garden: Once you’ve selected your plants, it’s time to get your hands dirty! Follow planting instructions, spacing plants appropriately and providing adequate water and sunlight.
5. Observe and enjoy: Here is advice from Danna Breen, a 50-year landscape design veteran: “My best advice I have for any gardener is to walk it everyday and observe. The plants are communicating. You can tell when they may or may not need help. They are quite articulate and you see more as you age the patterns and predictabilities and yet everyday presents another surprise.”
Gardening is much more than a hobby; it’s a transformative experience that can enrich your life in countless ways. Here are Danna’s musings on how gardening is transformational:
“This morning in flannel nightgown with coffee, I venture out to be enveloped by the scent of Just Joey exploding into my little seating perch, tucked in behind the espalier apples, fava beans, black mustard, chantilly snaps, butterfly ranunculus, all possible edible petals for salads. I never really had the time with four kids, dogs, hens to actually sit. I love sharing the garden duties with the birds and rodents, dogs digging for rodents, hens scratching for seeds. It’s all ok. The irises are opening as I sit here. There is nothing I can do now actually but watch. So it’s spring and as a Californian this is it! We had the marvel of rain and chill and plants having a good winter’s nap. Soon summer will come, almost our version of other people’s winters. Summer is tough. With no irrigation I need to study everyday and take the hose out as needed. It is a reminder of the twist, turn and inevitability of life. How many daffodil fields will I see in the remainder of my life? Ah, next year, I hope the quince will perform better. Don’t think, just watch the hum of insects and that tiny caterpillar. Hummingbirds humming nearby. I got bitten by the chaos and magnificence of nature. I bit hard and I played actively and deliberately until she threw me out to sit with coffee in hand and just be here… sit… watch the emergence. I was part of the magic. We lived communally, nature and me, and when I’m gone another human will lend guidance, or it will revert to forest again…which is ok.”
Throughout the “Active You” section of this blog, we will introduce you to ideas on staying active and learning new things.