Some time ago, my doctor asked me if I exercised. I replied, “Yes, I garden.” She, who is young, pristine, and dressed head to toe in designer clothes, looked at me perplexed and said, “Oh no, I mean exercise.” Obviously, she has never moved wheelbarrows full of compost or pea gravel or dug deep holes for tree planting!
If you’re a gardener, you’ll know how great you feel, not to mention how well you sleep after a long day outdoors. That sense of accomplishment overrides any aches and pains you may feel.
Vitamin D absorbed from the sun helps protect against cancer and heart disease, and the bacteria in dirt have been linked to a more robust immune system. Dirt also acts as a ground against the positive electrons the body absorbs from electromagnetic frequencies (e.g., time spent on the computer) that can lead to inflammation. Chances are you are eating better, too, if you have a vegetable garden.
I don’t have the attention span or discipline to meditate. However, I can spend hours in the garden, not thinking of anything other than the task at hand, and my mind is entirely free of troubling thoughts. Recent studies show that gardening may also lower the risk of developing dementia.
Bunny Mellon, hired by John F. Kennedy to design the Rose Garden at the White House, lived to 103. (President Kennedy also asked Mellon to redesign the East Garden on the White House grounds for Jackie Kennedy and their children, which was called “The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.” Unfortunately, President Kennedy was assassinated soon after, and Jackie left the White House before truly enjoying these new gardens.)
If you watch YouTube gardening videos, you may have noticed that many hosts are older, with lovely, weathered skin and endearing laugh lines at the corners of their eyes. Their hands are not perfectly manicured, and their hair is askew under a favourite hat. Also, if you happen to see the head gardener while visiting a public garden, you will no doubt have had the opportunity to talk to them and observe their love and enthusiasm for their life’s work. They are living their best life…
Creating a beautiful outdoor environment is rewarding, with the bonus of knowing that all those hours spent in the garden lead to a longer, happier, healthier life. Having your faithful companion following you around all day only adds to a better quality of life for both of you. (However, Charlie is usually up to no good…digging where she shouldn’t, stealing pruners or garden gloves.) Like me, she is exhausted after those particularly long, demanding days!
Although March can be a cruel month, before long, we’ll be back in the dirt implementing all those plans we’ve made (daydreamed about) over the winter. That first visit to a greenhouse will be as tempting as a child in a candy shop! Start the car…
Cheers to the good life, xox Judy❤️
How true!
Be sure to have an updated Tetanus shot.
Hi Debbie, Thank you…I’ll be careful! xox Judy❤️
What an uplifting post! Here’s to enjoying all the benefits of gardening season!!
Hi Cathy, I’m sure you are as anxious as I am to get your hands dirty! xox Judy❤️
“Start the car…” indeed. I can’t wait for the garden centers to open either Judy. I too find it so rewarding to plan where my pots and containers will go in the new season, and then plant them up. It truly is therapeutic, and I’m happy to learn that gardening can also contributes to a longer life. I look forward to your future gardening blogs Judy.
Hi Karen, My car is so ready to go too! The Rose House at Greenland usually opens on Good Friday which is just around the corner. I’m sure your containers are looking spectacular in your daydreams…and that you will realize those dreams. Warmer temperatures are on the way and we can fill up on Vitamin D soon. xox Judy❤️
So absolutely true, so well done! I think this is my new favorite post! I’ve spent the last few days bundled up tidying and edging three gardens. Of course it all takes me longer than it once did, but I enjoy every minute. And that sense of satisfaction you mentioned! Now when I look out the window right now as I type, I see those crisp edges and the tidy palette where a few brave flowers show up so nicely now that all the dead stems and blown in leaves are gone. My new doctor said exactly the same thing, but noticed I have good muscle tone…Ha! Wait until she sees me again after a summer and fall of gardening rather than after months of winter “resting”!
So lovely to hear from you again Carolee. Based on your past comments, I’ve gathered we are “birds of a feather”. Lucky you to be outdoors cleaning up your beds and getting a good start on your garden chores. As I look out my window I see almost a foot of fresh snow, which we need desperately, however, my eyes would happily adjust to green. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you see your doctor after months of fresh air and hard work! Happy International Women’s Day…strong women supporting strong women! xox Judy❤️
I’m with you Judy…I have no patience to sit and meditate etc.. but nothing relaxes me more than getting out in my garden. It’s truly therapeutic! I’ve got my gardening journal out and plannning my veggie garden as well as updating my perennials. I suppose I’ll have to get my cardio exercise some other way, mind you I do get some while gardening if I (like you with Charlie) have to chase Cooper when he’s run off with my gloves….is that a “Doodle” trait😂? I’d hate to see what mischief Cooper and Charlie would get up to if they paired up in the garden 😳😂! Hang in there Judy, Spring its just around the corner! Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, I wish I was more disciplined about keeping my garden journal up to date. It’s the best way to keep track of how and when the garden wakes up and grows through the season. With the way the weather was this winter, I have a feeling the garden will look much different once this snow is gone. And I’m sure it would be much worse than double trouble if Cooper and Charlie were tag teaming on garden mischief! Having patience when there is so much snow out there is not easy, however, all that moisture is just what we need. xox Judy❤️
Judy and Karen. I have two gardening helpers as well. Mostly, they like to follow me around and watch “me” work. But, due to the lack of snow up until recently, they have been able to dig holes in the semi/frozen ground all winter!!!!! I will have to research a way to discourage the digging, but wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Hi Karen, If you find a way to get your little helpers to stop digging please pass on your advice! xox Judy❤️
Hi Judy and Karen S., Oh my gosh, Karen, your little helpers are keeping their gardening skills up even in the winter😂….I bet they’re adorable! I’ve read a couple of articles about how to discourage dogs from digging but some of the suggestions seemed a bit extreme such as pouring vinegar or sprinkling cayenne pepper around the areas where they’re digging. I wouldn’t want cayenne pepper in my eyes and nose and I wouldn’t want it in Cooper’s either 😢. Since he only digs up my carrots and peas and, thank goodness, not any of my flowers I’m going to put my peas in a waist-high raised garden bed and put some chicken wire around the raised bed that hold the carrots ….then he can’t reach his favourite snacks! Hopefully, he leaves the rest of my veggie garden alone or I’ll have to put the entire back yard on stilts😂. Please pass on any advice if you come across any since all that chicken wire takes away from the “look” that I was going for in my garden😩. Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, I’m with you about not doing extreme measures. It’s interesting how our dogs get away with their mischief and we seem to accept it with a smile on our face! Good luck with your carrots and peas. xox Judy❤️