Why Gardening is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

I am writing this post this evening in response to a question asked of me a few weeks ago by my good blogging friend, Mona, at http://www.waywardsparkles.com.

I wrote a post recently about the condition of ‘Bruxism’, which is an over-the-top grinding of ones teeth predominately during the evening when you are fast asleep in your comfortable bed, dead to the world, and completely unaware of the damage you are doing to your mouth and gums. It has been blamed on stress and anxiety, which is why I get it, amongst other things. Mona, of ‘wayward sparkles’ asked me in her comment under the post in question, of ways I help myself to De-stress and relax, and I have discovered one way of which I was totally unaware of until a couple of weeks ago when I was given the know-how from a friend about the benefits of gardening.

My garden – not quite a rambling wilderness – has always been kind of just there, in the back. Always a bit untidy, never quite lovely enough to sit outside and enjoy its beauty. I have always been the sort of girl that likes to sit outside, yet always being completely unable to take in the prettiness of my flowers, bushes or grasses, because basically there have never been any. I have always cut the grass to keep it down and performed the bare minimum of jobs to do on it so that it’s passable to gaze upon, but never to make me swoon and go ‘Oohhhh’ and ‘Aahhhh’, and to make comments such as ‘I think those pair of Washingtonia cotton palms would look far better in the corner don’t you think?’ or ‘I wonder if that 3 ton of manure really did do the hydrangeas good?’ or ‘Isn’t it lovely to think I can soon harvest my Goosegogs and make a sumptuous crumble?’. All said to myself of course!

With the advice of the friend, I have created a garden that to me has become my little gem, and I am so proud. I have re-laid my brick path, edged all the lawns front and back, trimmed the bushes, potted some beautiful flowers – which I water daily, quite unusual for me – weeded the lawns, scraped the pathways and cut the edges. I’ve even worked on my neighbours front drive so that this also has become a tidy place for her to enjoy. And do you know the reason why I did my neighbours garden too?… It’s because I actually really enjoy gardening; in fact I love it. And the reason why I can’t get enough of it and am more than willing to use my new found expertise, (small expertise) to help my additional neighbours is because it has become my stress buster!

I can go outside with my soil and tubs, my scraper and mower and feel absolutely great. It gets rid of my excess adrenaline, especially if I get stuck in and do a bit of digging. I honestly feel that I can switch off! There’s nothing more calming than sitting outside in the fresh air, listening to the birds chirping, getting up a sweat and seeing the fruits of your labours. It even has a social element. Many times people walk by, strike up conversations or have a catch up, and we can chat and I’ll put the kettle on and have a cuppa while I’m working talking away about this and that.

So, Mona, my answer to your question is…My perfect De-Stresser and anti-anxiety remedy is gardening. And thanks for your comment which has ignited my writer’s block xxx

PS… I still haven’t got used to the worms!!