Power of Gardening

Gardening improves both self-esteem and mood, according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.  This comes as no surprise to those of us who seek tranquility amongst our petunias.  There is also evidence that tending a patch of earth can make you more generous and hopeful, as reported in Prevention Magazine.  It seems that connecting with nature stimulates biochemical pathways in our brain that satisfies our primal longing to commune with Mother Earth, restoring us to well-being.

I have always been a nature girl.  I feel at peace when I am surrounded by the beauty and stillness of flowers and trees.  I started gardening a few years ago.  My Father was a gardener and I used to wonder why he would spend hours digging around in the dirt. He has Alzheimer's Disease and no longer remembers how to garden, let alone what he planted in his garden for those many years.  But now I know my Father's secret. The secret that most gardener's know.  There is a sense of balance, tranquility and well being that comes from spending your time digging in the soil.  Nothing can restore our sense of peace like a garden.

This blog will not be just about gardening, but about the life lessons that are uprooted as I feel the earth between my fingers. I am one of those gardeners who needs to feel the earthen goodness on my bare fingers.  There is something primal about it that I cannot explain.  Many a time have I started out with protective gloves on, only to discard them in a heap.  I do my best thinking in my garden.  Some of which, I hope to share with you in my blog.  

This has not been a good Spring for gardeners.  It has been one of the rainiest on record.  April showers turned into May showers.  I long for a sunny or at best, dry day to head out to my refuge, my garden.