Gardening as Therapy

Post Reply New Topic

Do find that weeding, planting, clearing, cleaning the earth is therapeutic for you?

Greetings! A thousand times over, YES! In a little over 10 years, we have created a little heaven on earth, filled with perennial beds throughout the front, side, and backyards...My tools , my gloves, my work boots, they define me in the summer... I dealt with grief by kicking the shovel around the dirt, creating winding pathways, planting trees, seeds,painting murals,perrenials, all to heal my heart, soothe my nerves, help me feel like I was part of this earth, here for a reason...it helped me get in shape fast, I breathed in the days and the hours passed by quickly, amazed at the amount of work accomplished by my hands, by my thoughts and plans...I highly recommend this to all who are able to work with the soil and earth..I just purchased a composter,it holds 7 cu. ft., I mix coffee grinds, eggshells, garden veggies, etc, along with straw, and manure, and by spring we will have dark, rich soil to add to our gardens... I like your topic, it is one of my favorite things to do in this world! People know our home by our gardens and our murals, I am making a statement without saying a word......

I am become death, the destroyer of weeds.

Very awesome. I too find this truly one of the few things I can do and it reaps benefits on all levels. My heart starts beating faster than I would ljust lying around, I am outside breathing fresh air (when its available) connecting with the earth...oh its so lovely to do that. Pulling out weeds for me is like uprooting my hurts. Some deep some shallow. Some dead just taking up space. I love being able to provide a better home for the beneficial insects and birds. I've cleared away literl jungles with weeds as high as my waist, clunked together with debris of neglect. This too is part of the therapy session. I'm cleaning the planet. making room for something healing, green and beautiful where once debris and ruin once was. It's a miracle of transformation. Yesterday I got a shiny new rake. I was so happy. Now I can get at those rocks that have bothering me. And yeah - the fallen leaves. Make room for the new. Oh yeah.

Greetings! A thousand times over, YES! In a little over 10 years, we have created a little heaven on earth, filled with perennial beds throughout the front, side, and backyards...My tools , my gloves, my work boots, they define me in the summer... I dealt with grief by kicking the shovel around the dirt, creating winding pathways, planting trees, seeds,painting murals,perrenials, all to heal my heart, soothe my nerves, help me feel like I was part of this earth, here for a reason...it helped me get in shape fast, I breathed in the days and the hours passed by quickly, amazed at the amount of work accomplished by my hands, by my thoughts and plans...I highly recommend this to all who are able to work with the soil and earth..I just purchased a composter,it holds 7 cu. ft., I mix coffee grinds, eggshells, garden veggies, etc, along with straw, and manure, and by spring we will have dark, rich soil to add to our gardens... I like your topic, it is one of my favorite things to do in this world! People know our home by our gardens and our murals, I am making a statement without saying a word......

JJSTAR, I like your style!! Glad to see another happy gardener here...

I like gardens. Once I went to the chelsea flower show.There were no young people or any ethinic minoraties except a middle aged chineese lady. LPure old grannies everywhere.

"Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower"...Hans Christian Anderson.....Enjoy your day!! !:)

JJSTAR, My favorite tool is the Weasel, it is a forked -prong tool that twists the dirt and weeds easily apart. I also have an antique hand rake that belonged to my grandpa that I treasure, the handle measures about a foot, very cool and useful tool...

I feel that gardening is symbolic for digging around in one's subconscious. So is closet cleaning.

I became obsessive about it. I had to have one of each type of gooseberry bush, one of each type of currant bush, same with raspberries, blackberries and grapes. I also had a lot of different types of fruit trees.

Great question! For me, gardening is more than therapy: It is a lifestyle. I studied plants and soil in college, worked as a professional gardener, and have made a living from writing and editing gardening books for nearly 20 years. So I garden, I write about gardening, and I sleep--that's pretty much it, and it's bliss. My publisher accepts that I won't travel, give lectures, or do interviews except by e-mail, and if my editor wants to discuss a new book, she comes to my house instead of making me go to them. I daily thank whatever powers that be for the peace and solitude, and for the opportunity to create my garden and my own mini-universe at the same time.

NOOOOOOOO!

I hate gardening, I can't think of anything more boring than spending three of four hours mowing a lawn and then pulling up the weeds. OK, I know that some of you like this as a hobby but this time count me out!

Ed Almos

I love my garden, but I can see a time coming when I want someone else to do the garden for me.