Humans have always had a special relationship with plants. From epic, ancient wonders like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to contemporary marvels like New York City’s High Line, or even simply your backyard flower bed, gardens and green spaces are signs of a healthy, happy, and prosperous life, on any scale.
We gravitate to spaces filled with lush greenery. Lately, we’ve been hearing more and more about the benefits of the appreciation of plants and nature. Maybe you’ve heard of the Japanese concept of Forest Bathing, Shinrin-yoku. It’s been getting quite a bit of attention lately — from researchers, and from the general public. Studies are showing what us nature lovers have known all along: being amongst plants has measurable, beneficial effects on indicators of stress such as blood pressure and cortisol levels. We’ve known about nature therapy for ages, and now we’re seeing the science to back it up.
Of course, most of us don’t have the luxury of stepping out of our back door and into an old-growth forest. But creating and tending to your own green space has all of the same benefits of Forest Bathing, and even more.
Growing a garden is work. But, that work has all sorts of positive outcomes for your physical and mental health. Here’s an example. I love to talk soil with the gardeners in my classes and workshops. It’s a key element to getting a successful garden going — the first step. And in fact, even before you put any plants into the ground, just by getting your hands in the dirt you’re acquainting yourself with a beneficial microbe called M. vaccae. This microscopic organism has been shown to help your body increase its production of serotonin, a neurochemical that results in feelings of happiness and lowers anxiety. I find this so fascinating — healthier soil leads to a happier you!
Doing the work of maintaining a garden also gets us outside. I know that I’ve been spending a whole lot more time indoors lately, and it’s my garden that seems to most often pull me away from my computer screen and into the backyard. Vitamin D is key to our health, and the best way for us to get it is from good old-fashioned sunlight. And the moment you start transplanting and weeding, hoeing and raking, you’re getting critical aerobic exercise, strengthening your cardiovascular system and burning calories.
Even apart from the benefits of the physical work of gardening, keeping your plants healthy and happy has a number of more subtle psychological benefits. You’ve probably heard talk of the many benefits of “mindfulness,” gained through practices like yoga or meditation. Every gardener knows that mindfulness is also key to cultivating a successful garden. You have to slow down, focus, and figure out what it is that your garden needs. Is it more nitrogen? Are there cutworms feasting on your plants during the evening? Solving gardening problems requires careful observation and focus. Practices such as these have the same effect as yoga or meditation — developing the mental capacities that foster calm, clarity, and concentration.
Humans and plants have always had a closely intertwined relationship. I’ve only scratched the surface of the many benefits that deepening that relationship can have. Even a small, simple backyard garden will enrich your life in ways that you may not have even imagined