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The Healing Power of Gardens

nytimes.com

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Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#81

Post by vram22 »

pcmaffey wrote: post #27
_qwfv wrote: post #4

This article focuses a lot on large, well curated gardens, but I'm an engineer who found a lot of solace and safety in managing my own garden. (As someone who has faced burnout and anxiety from work before.) There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain. It's an exercise in organization and planning that scales from "throw seeds at dirt" to "these plants wi…

I'd guess that you would love permaculture [1], if you're not already familiar with it. It's a set of design principles for organizing and planning gardens that oozes a certain creative engineering and wisdom of natural things. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture

Not only for gardens, although the term originated from "permanent agriculture". From your link, and from what I've heard from people who do it.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#82

Post by BasicObject »

vram22 wrote: post #64
jrumbut wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it really breaks through the paralysis because once you get the seeds wet the plants are coming on their own schedule whether you're ready or not. Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing…

>Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). >In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing off a plant that had sat on the windowsill doing nothing for 2 years. Very interesting. Must try that out some time. >If anyone has advice on plant pa…

Just to add to what has been said here. The three sisters is not the only form of companion planting you can do. There are many. My favorite other examples also include: Strawberries planted next to blueberries and carrots planted next to lettuce. These may not provide as complete nutritional value as the three sisters but they are easy other options.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#83

Post by benj111 »

Pfhreak wrote: post #11
hanniabu wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain Agreed, and it's also not a stressful task in itself for some reason. I'm somebody that's over analytical and tends to succumb to analysis paralysis, but when it comes to garden work I never experience that. (possibly because I know plants are resilient and it's hard to mess up?)

The only thing that stresses me is when my plants fail and I don't know why.

Hail storms just after you've planted something (normally none hardy) out.

That's stressful!

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#84

Post by benj111 »

jedberg wrote: post #18

Before we had kids, my wife and I would work in the garden almost every weekend. After spending a week dealing with servers on fire, doing mindless repetitive work was exactly what I needed to rest my mind. At one point I dug out a garden that was 37’ x 14’ and over a foot deep. I did the math once and figured out that I moved more than 2000 lbs of dirt (a literal ton) and then I moved a literal ton of bricks to the…

"Before we had kids"

Why did you stop? Personally I make an extra effort to get them outside, for young kids theres so much to learn in a garden, or out for a walk.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#85

Post by adreamingsoul »

I'm (hopefully) on the tail-end of dealing with mental health issues. I was dealing with burnout, depression, substance abuse, trauma, psychosis, and severe anxiety. Right about then I started this backyard project to create a chemical-free, sustainable, and diverse "forest garden". Currently, about two years later that Eco-system is starting to explode with more bugs, fungus, and birds.

I found solitude, peace, and healing in the process of working with nature. I worked hard to revitalize the natural environment around me, and through that process I want to believe that nature found a way to heal me too.

Also, I had a therapist and a supporting partner who helped me through the tough times.

Anyways, I can't recommend enough getting your hands in the dirt, appreciating all forms of nature, and learning about the various Eco-systems that are needed for nature to thrive.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#86

Post by mcguire »

vram22 wrote: post #80
mcguire wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...beavers. I've lost two trees to beavers. I hope the jerks enjoyed it.

Wow. Have read about what they do, but thought it was only in nature / forested / non-urban areas. You live in such an area, or did they enter a citified area?

I live in a rural area on the Tennessee River. It's a little more rural than suburban, but not very far out of town. Came out one day and the tree stump (about 1 1/2" around) was cut off at an angle a couple of inches above the ground, sharp enough to puncture a lawn mower tire. That tree was just gone. (The other was a little older and sprouted volunteers, so it's trying to grow back.)

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#87

Post by blunte »

blunte wrote: post #47
aloer wrote: post #45

I've had a theory for some time now based on my own observations: A big part of why nature is so calming is the absence of repeating patterns. In our artificial life everything follows standardized forms and patterns. It's a sterile world. The most obvious example being rectangles and perfect 90 degree angles everywhere. But I would also count things like uniform colors, evenly spread (artificial) light, predictable…

What you say regarding patterns is true compared to human-made thubgs, but I'm not sure that is what is the root attraction. For me it's the practically endless possibility that I will see or hear (or even smell) something new if I'm using my senses (instead of busy thinking about human problems). There's little difference betweey explanation and yours, but I selfishly think it's all about our experience.

I have no idea what a "thubgs" is, but I suspect it's a garden. Phone typing is clearly an art that not all possess.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#88

Post by lux »

_qwfv wrote: post #4

This article focuses a lot on large, well curated gardens, but I'm an engineer who found a lot of solace and safety in managing my own garden. (As someone who has faced burnout and anxiety from work before.) There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain. It's an exercise in organization and planning that scales from "throw seeds at dirt" to "these plants wi…

Totally agree. My business partner started gardening from her balcony and blogging about the challenges, which then got several of us into it as well. I now have five raised beds, more than a dozen pots, some vertical planters made from eaves, and a good plant that feels like something out of Little Shop of Horrors.

It's such a connective thing for me now. Stress relief, feeling control over my food source, talking to neighbours more often, and thinking about food sources. Highly recommended gardening to anyone looking for a great and fairly easy hobby.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#89

Post by erikpukinskis »

ratacat wrote: post #74
imesh wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sort of off topic: One of the more frustrating things about going out in nature where I live at least, is seeing the pattern of invasive plants over and over again. I can identify every plant in my area, an area that would have been full of thousands of different trees and bushes now has repeating landscape of about two dozen different plants.

At some point in time, every plant was invasive.

No, invasiveness is a quantitative measure. A plant can force other plants out, or it can coexist. The amount of net pressure on other species dictates whether a plant is invasive. A Eucalyptus and a Live Oak will both use the same sunlight but the Eucalyptus will lol everything underneath it.

Also, it is true that sunlight is a fixed resource, but the earth is not 100% covered, even in mature forests. There are disturbances everywhere that can be moved into and stengthening the ecosystem.

There are also resources which are not sunlight. The resource competition is so multidimensional and open that you cannot conceive of life as a zero sum game. Not yet anyway. Maybe in another billion years of evolution we will be at the point where every movement is an invasion.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#90

Post by js2 »

_qwfv wrote: post #4

This article focuses a lot on large, well curated gardens, but I'm an engineer who found a lot of solace and safety in managing my own garden. (As someone who has faced burnout and anxiety from work before.) There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain. It's an exercise in organization and planning that scales from "throw seeds at dirt" to "these plants wi…

> There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain.

Boy you sound like someone who would really enjoy square foot gardening. I doubt I'm telling you anything you don't know, but here's a link for those unfamiliar:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_foot_gardening

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