Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Healing Power of Gardens

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 115 posts

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#91

Post by jedberg »

benj111 wrote: post #84
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.

The garden is too dangerous for the kids because there are a lot of sharp things around. :) I didn't build it with kids in mind, so for example all the wire fencing is just cut with no ends. We'll get out there with them in a few years. My daughter helps with the front yard sometimes.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#93

Post by hanniabu »

Cerium wrote: post #24
sf_rob wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I come to gardening with the same attitude. Basically if it doesn't grow well in my temperate climate then I just grow something else next year. Tomatoes, mint, and squash all grow like weeds and are super easy, peppers are finicky, and leafy greens are a battle against aphids. That said, I know plenty of other hobby gardeners who treat their gardens as an exercise in optimization. Heck, I even know one engineer with…

I have had good luck in the battle against aphids on my kale by spraying them with a (1:1) mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and water with a small amount of dish soap (I use about one sponge load worth in a full spray bottle).

Just get a container of lady bugs, they're natural predators

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#94

Post by dpc59 »

Judgmentality wrote: post #70
jniedrauer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there are times where your spidey senses will wake up though, which is also super surprising because it's not like fear or stress. It's N times more acute senses and focus. Almost a pleasure.. especially considering how dull a modern daily life can make you feel. After about 3 weeks into a multi thousand mile hike, senses that I didn't even realize I had started to wake up. I could sense animals in the woods around…

> After about 3 weeks into a multi thousand mile hike How far and how long did you hike for? I just can't imagine walking through the woods for so many months. Also where did you hike?

Look at the appalachian and pacific crest trails. Its really hard in occidental countries to be more than 50km from a city, so you always have places to buy food.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#95

Post by rlue »

_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 remember watching a TED talk by Dan Gilbert in which he claimed that there was research showing that tending houseplants improved mood (and extended lifespans, I think?) for elderly nursing home residents, but also that the longevity benefits were reversed after the houseplants were taken away?

I'm very fuzzy on the details, but in retrospect, it sounds like a bit of a cruel experiment to conduct.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#96

Post by SuoDuanDao »

jrumbut wrote: post #14
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?)

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…

My family came across a fun synergy last summer - garden giants (aka wine caps, or probably any table mushroom) and squash. The squash likes to grow into the wood chip beds of the table mushrooms, and the mushrooms like the cool, moist climate in the shadow of the squash leaves.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#97

Post by richardw »

blunte wrote: post #87
blunte wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

U next to I. B next to n. "Things" is my guess.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#98

Post by WC3w6pXxgGd »

agumonkey wrote: post #53
jniedrauer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there are times where your spidey senses will wake up though, which is also super surprising because it's not like fear or stress. It's N times more acute senses and focus. Almost a pleasure.. especially considering how dull a modern daily life can make you feel. After about 3 weeks into a multi thousand mile hike, senses that I didn't even realize I had started to wake up. I could sense animals in the woods around…

Makes me want to walk in the country side alone. In France there's almost no real danger (except the eventual hunter). Anyways it's odd how our world evolved toward comfort and disconnecting us from such important part of us.

Unless you live in Paris and Yellow Vests are burning your street.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#99

Post by jniedrauer »

Judgmentality wrote: post #70
jniedrauer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there are times where your spidey senses will wake up though, which is also super surprising because it's not like fear or stress. It's N times more acute senses and focus. Almost a pleasure.. especially considering how dull a modern daily life can make you feel. After about 3 weeks into a multi thousand mile hike, senses that I didn't even realize I had started to wake up. I could sense animals in the woods around…

> After about 3 weeks into a multi thousand mile hike How far and how long did you hike for? I just can't imagine walking through the woods for so many months. Also where did you hike?

I winter hiked the Appalachian trail, starting in Amicalola Falls on January 1st. I ran out of money near Harpers Ferry, so I made it about 1100 miles.

I highly recommend doing this type of thing at least once in your life. I dreamed about using computers at night for about the first 3 weeks, and then my brain reverted to a more primitive state and I never missed tech again or felt bored for the entire time I was out there. It's very freeing.

Although if you're going to winter thru hike, winter hiking experience and good equipment is essential. A few sections ended up borderline mountaineering, which in retrospect was very foolish to attempt alone and with no experience. I did not know what I was getting into, and I got extraordinarily lucky a few times while learning how to survive outside during the winter through trial and error. Also had to spend most of the money I saved on better equipment, which is why I had to cut my hike short.

Re: The Healing Power of Gardens

#100

Post by Pfhreak »

js2 wrote: post #90
_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

I do my own take on this in my containers. It's less rigidly defined, but it's the same basic idea.
Post reply on HN