The healing power of gardening

Gardening is an instrument of grace.

May Sarton

  

Gardening (photo - Westcoast Wildlife, flickr creative commons)

Anyone who gardens on a regular basis understands the healing power of getting your hands dirty and spending time with growing things. I'm more of a putterer than a serious gardener, but puttering around on our patio or at our community garden plot can be tremendously satisfying. Right now, I can use more comfort and serenity. Last night, I found some amongst the tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, zinnias, and sweet peas. My husband was away at a conference - he's the serious gardener in the family - and so my son and I had to take up the slack, watering the plants he usually waters.

Watering tomatoes (photo - flickr creative commons)

Horticulture Therapy

 My intuitive sense that gardening is therapeutic for trauma survivors is confirmed by horticulture therapists. There are a number of programs that have been started to work with people who have PTSD. Many of these programs deal with people who have combat trauma; however, the lessons learned can be applied to any trauma survivor. Here's a great story, Dig for Therapy about a program in the UK. Other programs work with elderly people, prisoners, and people experiencing other types of mental health issues. If you don't have space for a garden or didn't plant anything this year, don't worry. You can still spend time anywhere things are growing and get similar benefits. The important thing is to take time to touch and smell whatever plants are growing and, if it's allowed, pick a few leaves or flowers and enjoy the fragrance on your fingers.

 

Sweet peas (flickr creative commons)

A Peaceful Evening

Meanwhile, here are a few of the things I did yesterday:

• Watered the tomatoes, beans, and flowers growing on our patio.
• Watered the Katsura tree growing behind our house that always seems to struggle during the hot/dry part of the summer.
• Walked to our community garden plot with my son and helped water the potatoes and zinnias.
• Explored the other plots, smelling the sweet peas and admiring what others were growing.
• Deadheaded the petunias that are growing in a planter near the local community center - a planter that I'm the official "keeper" for.
• Breathed in the peace and quiet of the cool evening air. 
• Felt good.

 Below is a charmingly low-key video about the Garden Leave program in the UK.