For some of us, they started arriving in November. Daring us to do something with them. No, not the in-laws. The seed catalogs!
These harbingers of spring with their perennial promises of warm sunny days and flowerheads bobbing on balmy breezes, entice us of life lived in a garden. Like picture books for grown-ups, they ignite our imaginations to grow something pretty. In this nether season of neither winter nor spring, we’re beckoned to start planting in those little peat moss cups and clean out last year’s pots, if we haven’t already done so.
Here are some reminders about the goodness in gardening:
It feels great to grow something. It can give us a sense of accomplishment, which can be a boost to our self-esteem.
Getting outside and digging in the ground can be as gentle or as strenuous as you like, which is good for the heart and may reduce stress. The physical work and the hope, along with focusing our energy and minds on the process of bringing something to life, can help us forget for a little while about some of our other stressors and bring us some relief.
Did you know dirt might make us happy? There is a benign bacterium found in soil called Mycobacterium vaccae, (M. vaccae, to its friends). When scientists studied the effects of this bacterium on mice, they discovered that it activated some serotonin-releasing neurons in their brains, similar to Prozac. Which is not to say we should ingest the soil (like some of us may have done when we were kids), just gently breathe in the smell of fresh soil as we work. And, of course, any vegetables, herbs, or fruit grown in such excellent soil will naturally carry the same gentle effects into our food.
Growing your own food! It doesn’t get any fresher, or more economical than that! Plus, you can share your bumper crop with neighbors and friends. Sometimes, in return, they will take your produce and share with you what they’ve grown. It’s really a wonderful experience.
While gardening is a great activity to do alone for quiet contemplation, it’s also a nice thing to do as a family. Ungluing us all from our devices for a few hours and enjoying each other’s company while being out in nature. Playing in that healthy dirt. Getting some much-needed vitamin D and growing something together.
On a larger scale, our ecosystem benefits from our gardens as well. Even just a few flowers around our mailboxes can help pollinators, like bees and, yes, wasps, make honey and pollinate the plants we like to eat. And let’s not forget butterflies and hummingbirds. A garden would be a lonely place with out these beauties. By planting even a few flowers, we help these dwindling and beneficial pollinators, and they, in turn, help our ecosystem at large.
Some flowering plants can become home to birds and even attract bats, which we need in order to keep our bugs in check.
We’re lucky here in Apex to have a such a good growing season—from last frost around April 15 until about the end of October or early November when we typically see our first frost.
It’s worth mentioning as well that hobby gardening doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you start with just a couple of pots on the porch or balcony. Apex has some good garden centers where you can get started with seeds, peat moss planting cups, and maybe a nice pot or planter. For a relatively small investment you can realize big—and beautiful—dividends.
For more about the good news of gardening, visit:
https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/health-benefits-of-gardening/
https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/is-dirt-the-new-prozac
https://outnumbered3-1.com/2020/05/why-are-pollinator-gardens-important
