We came across this info below while searching for internet links. It explains perfectly why we love to garden and why flowers bring us such joy and even how gardening improves our health. We placed it here on out "Annuals" page because flowers are the universal language of joy and perhaps, more than any other plant, they are the #1 reason WHY we love to garden. 

 

 

Grow Better, Feel Better, Garden Longer

by Karen York

 

A wise gardener and horticultural therapist Gene Rothert has written, “What we tap into in our gardens is not easily rationalized or explained, but it’s something we should never have to give up.”

 

He’s right, but scientists are taking some small steps in discovering what drives us into our gardens to grovel about in the earth, revel in a bed of peonies and proudly flaunt our dirty fingernails. 

They have found that being in a natural environment lowers blood pressure, reduces muscle tension and increases alpha waves in the brain. In fact, just looking at pictures or videos of nature can reduce stress and lessen negative emotions. No wonder 300 people who were asked to describe the most healing environment for someone in pain and need of comfort described a place full of trees, water, greenery and stone. Gardeners certainly know this and even non-gardeners recognize it intuitively. Public gardens across the U.S. were packed in the wake of September 11. 

 

Many gardeners when asked why they garden respond that they find it an escape from the stresses of work, family pressure, the pace of daily activities, etc. Although stress is subjective (my stress could be your exhilaration) and varies in degree, one thing is certain: our health is closely related to how well we cope with it. I’m convinced that the increase in home gardening is in direct proportion to the amount of stress in our lives.

 

I recall a fascinating television documentary in which a group of lively centenarians were interviewed in an effort to discover their long-living secrets. High on the list was their ability to cope with loss. I noted (with no surprise) that several were shown working in their gardens (perhaps giving truth to the line that old gardeners never die, they just go to seed). 

 

So much of our emotional wellbeing depends on our coping abilities. Whatever kind of loss, a loved one, a pet, a job, a home or a faculty (sight), we mourn and go through the grieving process. Nature has long been a part of that process and our rituals, from flowers to memorial gardens. But in the garden, nurturing living things, and fostering the continuity of life beyond ourselves, we find relief, as well as a deeper understanding of what Henry Mitchell calls “the great cycle of wheeling life.” 

 

Also high on the centenarians’ list were social interaction and exercise. Well, gardeners love to share plants, seeds, advice, experiences and zucchini. And every gardener can attest to gardening as a good workout. Even relatively light work such as weeding, trimming or raking burns about 300 calories an hour. Digging, hauling mulch, and heavier work not only burns calories but also improves muscle tone and bone strength. Added benefit comes from being outside in the sunshine (vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium). Researchers have found that regular exercise not only relieves depression but also improves cognitive abilities in middle-aged and older people. Gardening provides lots of opportunities to use it (or lose it)!

 

The garden allows us to indulge our senses, and sensory stimulation is vital to healthy human functioning. In fact, the sensory element is fundamental to the garden’s appeal: getting your hands in the soil, feeling the surprisingly velvety petal of a poppy or the roughness of tree bark; inhaling the sweet scent of nicotiana; tasting a fresh picked tomato; hearing the rustle of grasses and the chirps of arguing sparrows; and seeing the infinite range of colorrs in the heart of a tree peony. 

 

Beyond the physical benefits, the garden offers unlimited creative possibilities, and the chance to stimulate that sixth sense: the intellectual sense, there’s always something to learn, and with every lesson comes a greater understanding of nature’s ways, a deeper sense of satisfaction, and often a healthier garden (and gardener). We know now that maintaining good levels of physical and mental activity helps to ward off Alzheimer’s disease. And it is simply gratifying to nurture something, to tend something that responds so readily to our care. Who can fail to marvel at the ability of a tiny seed to sprout and grow and present us with lustrous blooms, tasty salad fixings, or a canopy of shade? 

 

Gardens can also give us a sense of control, important when we often feel that there are so many things beyond our control. We are not going to be able to control nature, but at least in our gardens, we can exercise some choice, deciding what to grow where and when. If we just keep working on the why, we’ll be laughing. As we realize that our health is closely bound up with the planet’s health, we will understand that in restoring the earth in our gardens, we also restore ourselves. 

 

Read more at Garden Forever- a wealth of gardening information, tips and resources.

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The Daffodil Principal- this inspiring story of one womans daffodil garden is one of the greatest principles of celebration: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time.

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