by Dana Rubin‑Winkelman, MSW, CAPSW, Social Worker, Adult Day Services
I hope you and your family are well. I am thinking of you and sending my positive thoughts. I hope to bridge the distance through this electronic connection.
The weather is warmer, and the sun is (usually) shining; consequently, many of us are spending more time outside. Gardening is an outdoor activity that individuals love. Besides being a productive way to appreciate nature, gardening also benefits our health and well-being. Today, I will explore a collection of ideas regarding this wonderful topic.
Of course, not everyone has a yard or is able to plant a garden. This Touch Points includes other ways to enjoy the pleasures of gardening through windowsill and/or container gardening. I have also added a variety of gardening brain health exercises, puns, and even music with an outdoor flair. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your schleppy (Yiddish for run-down) clothes, and let’s experience the joys of gardening. It is easier than you think!
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are the sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul. ” (Luther Burbank)
GARDENING BRINGS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING:
1. Why is Gardening so Valuable?
- Gardening provides exercise. Since some of us have been more sedentary during the cooler months, committing to even light gardening can boost the metabolism and engage muscles. The physical movement of digging, raking, weeding, and watering burns calories and may strengthen muscles. (Of course, with any physical activity, please check with your doctor first.) In addition, regular exercise, like moderate gardening, can help prevent memory loss. According to a study from the Medical Journal of Australia, a daily dose of gardening lowers the risk of dementia.
- Gardening is also a mood enhancer and has psychological benefits. For example, gardening can increase serotonin, a chemical in our brain that helps boost overall mood. Gardening may also lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. News and World Report states, “Gardening has a wide range of mood benefits, such as reductions in depression, anxiety, and anger, as well as increases in happiness” (Preventive Medicine Reports study). So, try to relax and get into the “zone” while you garden. Use this time to quietly reflect. Allow yourself to drift off as you work, finding a magical state of mindfulness.
- For our friends caring for a loved one with memory loss, gardening can provide a social activity and may enhance their loved one’s sense of purpose. Gardening can be a productive, bright, and joy-filled activity.
“Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.” (author unknown)
2. Container Gardening and Tips: Not everyone is able to garden outside, but everyone has a windowsill or a container! If you are intimidated, start small with just a few houseplants or a pot. Personally, I have tried container gardening many times. When I was first married, we lived in downtown Chicago. Instead of a yard, we only had a small patio/deck. Still, we were able to successfully plant cucumbers in a pot. In addition, I am currently growing two herb plants. For easy access when I cook, I found a sunny spot for them inside my home. I am happy to report that my basil and mint plants are flourishing! I hope you will be encouraged by the ideas below:
- Click here for “17 Vegetables That You Can Grow in a Pot or Container.” There are also tips and harvesting information.
- Click here for “A Container Garden for Small Spaces: All You Need to Know.” -A helpful and easy read.
“Play in the dirt. Because life is too short to always have clean fingernails.” (gardentherapy.ca)
3. Crazy Plant Puns and Wordplay: Did you know that puns are beneficial to brain health? Not only do they make us smile, groan, roll our eyes, and laugh, but they also engage both sides of our brain. In puns – where words have multiple meanings – the sentence context primes us to interpret a word in a specific way, an operation that occurs in the left hemisphere.”
“Humor emerges when the right hemisphere subsequently clues us in to the word’s other, unanticipated meaning, triggering a ‘surprise reinterpretation.’” (Lori Buchanan)
Have fun with these delightful gardening and plant puns from Mary Jane Duford.
- She didn’t date the gardener. He was too rough around the hedges.
- I feel sorry for wheelbarrows. They’re always getting pushed around.
- I started dating the girl across the street. Honestly, lawn-distance relationships aren’t that hard.
- I’ll never leaf you.
- Do you need some encourage-mint?
- I’m kind of a big dill.
Amusing Puns that Start with a Question:
- What do you call an everyday potato? A commen-tater.
- How much room should you give fungi to grow? As mushroom as possible.
- How do you fix a broken tomato? With tomato paste.
- Why do trees have so many friends? They branch out.
- Why did the lettuce close its eyes? Because it saw the salad dressing.
- When does a farmer dance? When he drops the beet.
“I never really cared for gardening, but after planting a few seeds, it grew on me.” (theoldsummershome.com)
4. A Garden of Brain Health and Wellness: Regular mental fitness exercise may help your cognition. Tend to the garden of your mind with these exercises:
- Garden of Flowers Exercise: Write down the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. Then, with each letter, write the name of a corresponding flower or plant (starting with the same letter). If you have difficulty filling in letters, research online and learn new plants and flora.
- Journal Prompts for Well-Being: Think of your mind as a garden. Use these prompts to tend to the garden of your mind. What thoughts and seeds have you planted in your garden? What are the weeds, or negative thoughts and feelings, that might be polluting your mind/garden? Who or what experiences have watered your garden this week?
- Test Your Memory Speed: Set a two-minute timer. Then quickly list all the healthy foods you can think of using the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and violet. (The acronym to remember is: ROYBGIV.) For some big-time prevention, eat brain-healthy foods while completing this brain health exercise! You are such an overachiever!
“You guac my world.” (author unknown)
5. Music With a Garden Fresh Theme: “Music releases dopamine in our bodies- the ‘feel happy’ hormones that elevate our mood in seconds, leaving us joyful, happy, and excited.” (Stage Music Center) Enjoy this garden mix. Sing out loud and dance like no one is watching!
- “Garden Song” by Pete Seeger: This was a suggested song from a family I adore. Enjoy this inspiring, ecological message and the (3-minute) audio.
- “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye: This song has been covered by various artists. Marvin Gaye’s version was released in 1968 and became a huge hit. Click for the (3-minute) audio.
- “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations: This 1968 singalong hit will surely make you smile. Click here for the (3-minute) lyric video.
- “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” by Peter, Paul, and Mary: This folk song was written by American singer-songwriter Pete Seeger. Enjoy this moving song; the video is from their 25th anniversary concert in 1986. Click here to watch (4 minutes).
- “Here Comes the Sun” by Nina Simone- I absolutely love this song. My parents introduced me to Nina Simone when I was a child, and, even then, I connected to the positive song and message. The gorgeous refrain reminds us that even when there are hard times, the light will shine again. Click here for (3-minute) audio.
“The earth has music for those who listen” (Shakespeare)
6. Stand With Israel- Speak Out Against Anti-Israel and Jewish Hate: Bring Israel into your thoughts with this prayer by The Maccabeats: Avinu Shebashamayim – A Prayer for the Welfare for the State of Israel. Actor David Schwimmer said, “You don’t have to say anything political, no one’s asking you to solve the conflict in the Middle East. Just say that you stand with your Jewish friends, colleagues, and neighbors against hatred and discrimination.”
“And into the garden I go to lose my mind and find my soul.” (author unknown)
Friends, get a little schmutzie (schmutz means dirt or grime in Yiddish)! Dig in the dirt and spark a light inside; nurture your body, mind, and soul. Do you have a question related to aging, memory loss, community resources, or caregiving? I am here and happy to assist! Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thinking of you and sending all my positive energy, light, and love,
Dana
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