Gardening Is Good For Everything

All seeded, including winter squash in the soil pile on the left. Also on the left -
tomatoes. Sticks are to deter cats from leaving deposits on freshly seeded areas.

With food supply chains wobbling along with everything else, there hasn't been a better time in my life I can think of to plant a garden. 

I grew up in the age of the supermarket, and my parents were not gardeners, although their parents most certainly were. As children, my parents spent time in the garden helping the family grow food during the Great Depression. 

A supermarket is not so super if it means that people grow less of their own food and become dependent on industrially produced foods of questionable quality.

The pandemic has focused our attention on what is really important. Things like planting and nurturing seeds. And eating. Plus, who couldn't use a peaceful diversion at this moment?  

A garden provides an essential service. Just like the big box grocers, but closer to home, less expensive, organic, and a whole lot more satisfying.

The pole bean structure doubles as a hummingbird rest area.

Have space? Work the soil, plant some seeds. Not much space? Get some containers and put them where you can. 

Do you live near an empty lot that is good for growing? Grab a shovel, get some seeds, and let your inner guerrilla gardener out to play. Ambush those weeds, and get started on your very own Freedom Garden. 
Or organize and pioneer a community garden.

With a little enjoyable effort you can provide relief on your grocery bill, and become more food self sufficient. Gardening can also lower you health care costs. 

Many studies completed since 2010 have reported a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety, and BMI, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community. 

A gardening and health meta-analysis (a study of studies) concluded,

“This study has provided robust evidence for the positive effects of gardening on health. A regular dose of gardening can improve public health.”

They found significant positive effects of gardening on the health outcomes for all groups studied.

This is second year kale that, as an experiment, I transplanted from our raised bed. They moved well, and
are thriving. We can eat from them, and harvest an abundance of seed. We will plant more when it gets cooler toward the end of summer.

Garden food is medicine food, in its production and consumption. Big Pharma wishes it had something, anything, as effective as this in promoting human health.

The world may be changing around us, but a garden will always be a garden, ready to delight, and nutritionally support a healthy simplified life that is a bit closer to nature.