The Side Effects of Gardening
There is a lot of worry going around these days. The world feels tense, like we’re all balanced on the knife’s edge. It’s hard to feel certain of much in this fast-paced, ever-changing world of ours. One thing I can be pretty darn sure of though is that in just a few more weeks, there will be flowers. I know there will be flowers because I sowed the flower seeds.
Do you all remember that part in the movie ‘Willow’ where High Aldwin reveals that the finger which holds all the magical powers is Willow’s own finger. Yeah, that’s how gardening makes me feel. There are many things in this world that I can’t do much about, but I can turn tiny seeds into beautiful flowers and nourishing food, and that feels like magic to me. It’s easy to feel helpless against a world so full of struggles. I understand, you’re only one person. But you hold within your little finger the power to garden.
Maybe that doesn’t seem like much, but let me tell you, it’s actually a lot.
It’s the power to create your own green paradise. Somewhere you can find reprieve from the stresses of the world. Gardening is an excellent stress reducer. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate a positive correlation between spending outdoors, surrounded by greenness and nature and leading a happier, healthier life. Green spaces have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep.1
It’s also the power to grow delicious, nutritious food. To reclaim maybe even just a little food sovereignty. To be able to say I grew this and I know that what went into it was love and goodness and organic compost. For me, food grown in my garden doesn’t just taste better, it makes me feel better too.
And it’s the power to share with friends and neighbors and local food banks*. I love helping to support my community in this way. We are not wild hyenas, that must squabble over scraps. We are human beings and we care for one another. We look out for those among us who are most vulnerable and when we work together and combine our efforts, even my little garden helps to serve greater purposes. And that is pretty powerful.
*Fresh food connect is a non-profit organization that can help you find food pantries in your area, where you can donate extra fruits, herbs, and veggies from your garden.
- Nguyen PY, Astell-Burt T, Rahimi-Ardabili H, Feng X. Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Oct 20;18(21):11028. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182111028. PMID: 34769549; PMCID: PMC8582763. ↩︎
