ALLURE MEDICAL - all•u Magazine all·u Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 9

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, and author Melinda Myers has written over twenty gardening books, including
Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. She hosts The Great Courses How to Grow
Anything DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio segments. Myers
is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ website, melindamyers.com,
features how-to gardening videos, monthly gardening advice, podcasts, and much more.
HEALTHY
LIVING
REDUCE YOUR stress, lower your
blood pressure, improve your mood,
and save some money while working
on your green thumb. Research shows
gardening can do all this and more.
Gardening can help you lose weight,
improve your overall fitness, burn
calories, and increase muscle tone and
flexibility. The Arthritis Foundation
encourages movement, and gardening
is one great way to stay active.
Don’t worry if your skills and space
are limited. Everyone can increase
the beauty in his or her environment,
whether just a balcony or several acres,
without a big increase in the budget.
Start small. This is especially true if you’re
new to gardening. It is better to build for
the future than become overwhelmed
and give up gardening. Seasoned
gardeners can look for new ways to
increase their satisfaction and fun.
Convert underutilized and overlooked
areas into beautiful spaces to be
used as small outdoor living spaces,
entertainment areas, or quiet getaways.
Container gardens, green walls,
and window boxes add planting
space to once unplantable areas.
Brighten the indoors. Everyone,
especially someone with no access to
the outdoors, should consider windowsill
gardens and planters filled with herbs,
greens, and houseplants. Not only
will they feed your gardening desires
and add life to your décor, they’ll
also help cleanse the air, removing
harmful, volatile organic compounds.
Share with a friend. Find friends and
family members that share your love
for, or budding interest in, gardening.
Experienced gardeners will swap advice
and plants while new gardeners can
benefit from the experience and new
perspectives of others. Since everyone
has a busy schedule these days, it’s a
great way to combine a friendly visit
while improving your landscape.
Make it an event. A plant swap,
weeding round-robin, or garden tour
makes gardening fun and lightens
everyone’s workload as you help each
GARDEN YOUR WAY
TO A HEALTHIER
LIFESTYLE
other with planning, planting, and
weeding. Be sure to include some light
refreshments, table decorations, and
recipes using your homegrown produce.
Include some herbs. Add flavor to your
meals and fun to your dining experience.
Have friends pluck fresh mint to flavor
their iced tea or mojito. Grow some
lovage. Its celery flavor and hollow
stem make this the perfect straw for
your tomato juice or Bloody Mary.
Grow some fruits and vegetables. Not
only can you save money on your
grocery bill but you can’t beat the flavor
or nutritional content of fresh-from-your-
garden produce. Also, you control the
chemicals, if any, used on your plants.
Mix it up a bit. Add flowers to your edible
containers to create an attractive display.
Add bulbs to your perennial plantings to
increase the flower power and reduce
your workload. The perennial foliage
will mask the unsightly fading leaves
of the bulbs. Don’t hesitate to include
a few annuals with your perennials.
They provide continuous bloom while
temporarily filling in space caused by new
plantings or voids in established gardens.
Make it convenient. If your garden tools
and gloves are handy, you are more
likely to take a few minutes to weed
or deadhead your garden. Spending
ten or fifteen minutes everyday in
your garden not only keeps it looking
good but also improves your mood
and lowers your blood pressure.
And most importantly, relax and have fun.
For more gardening information,
visit www.melindamyers.com.
2017 SPRING
9