Soooo…I (Pat) get a daily email from The Week magazine touting articles on their website. Yesterday—it’s March 21 when I’m writing this—along with their standard political fare (“Trump calls Putin to ‘congratulate’ him on his win,” “The sad hysteria of the Southern Poverty Law Center,” etc.), they had an article titled, “Gardening is Great.”
Isn’t that amazing? Well, not really, because (as we all know) gardening is great. But it was truly great to see some political website acknowledge this. They did a good job, too. Here’s just one tidbit:
We know regular gardening reduces stress hormones. Spending time tending and harvesting a garden can also reduce anxiety and depression. Just try this: Next time you get home from a particularly tough day at the office…or when you’re just feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life in general…spend 15 minutes getting your hands a little dirty. Sort through a packet of seeds. Read the directions. Pat some soil into little pots. Carefully plant your seeds and water them. Find a perfect spot to place them, depending on their requirements for sun and/or shade. Enjoy the simplicity of the activity, as well as the idea that doing something so easy…so devoid of pressure and insecurity…has the possibility to yield remarkable results.
This is therapeutic gardening, and it works.
By Leslie Turnbull at theweek.com.
