Garden= A Place of Healing

Garden = A Place of Healing

The healing nature of a garden is actually an ancient concept. The famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchadnezzar to comfort his homesick wife, Amyitis. From Japanese Zen gardens to medieval monastic gardens to modern therapy gardens, the healing power of nature has long been recognized in the form of gardening.

What is it about gardening that makes it so effective at lifting the spirits? What form does gardening take today?

Good Dirt


There is bacteria that lives in soil called mycobacterium vaccae. Interestingly, exposure to this bacteria has been shown to enhance cognitive function, perhaps by stimulating brain cells to produce serotonin. It is the brain level of this chemical that determines mood and mental function. In fact, low levels of serotonin are present in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, bipolar disorder, and other emotional and mental disorders. Getting your hands in the dirt exposes you to this beneficial microbe, and may play a part in the happy effects of gardening.

Grounded in the Ground


Gardening requires planning and effort. On a fundamental level, it gives people something to focus on besides their own problems and hurts. Gardens require daily care in the summer and planning in the winter, which helps keep you grounded. You have plants that depend on you, which helps distract the mind from troubles and ground them in the soil.

Exercise Is Good for Mind and Body


Gardening is hard work, but it is rewarding work. One of the basic things a person can do to enhance mental and physical health is to get regular exercise, and gardening provides fresh air, activity, and beauty. The physical effort required to weed, dig, plant, haul compost, etc. is a healthy workout that yields rewards in the form of beautiful plants. It's a lovely cycle that is good for the mind, spirit, and body.

Hospital Gardens


Nursing homes and hospitals are coming to recognize the healing effects of gardens, and more and more of them are planting gardens where patients can escape the sterile halls. Studies have actually shown lower heart rates and improved moods among patients who were allowed to stroll in gardens.

Garden Therapy


Planting gardens as a form of therapy for trauma victims is also a successful venture for some hospitals. From victims of abuse and torture to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the healing power of nature encapsulated in a garden does wonders for human healing.

Connection with Nature


No matter where a garden is located, it is a piece of nature. Human beings are attracted to natural settings and the natural world from which we all came. If you can't plant a garden as big as the ones in Babylon, even a few containers with plants and a chance to get out into the sunlight can provide that connection with nature that we all need.

Gardening brings joy to the gardener. And the more joy you have in your life, the happier and more content you will be.

Always remember when planting a garden to plant low water use, native area plants. For information on what plants are native to Florida and will do well for Florida landscapes, you may contact the Escambia County Extension or Santa Rosa County Extension offices.

Presented by:

Trish Sarfert, GRI, EcoBroker, NAR Green Designee
EcoLogical Realty   850-449-0908 cell  Trish@Eco-LogicalRealty.com
http://www.ShadesOfGreenRealty.com