Your 317 Home Your 317 Home Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 18
GARDEN YOUR WAY
TO A HEALTHIER
LIFESTYLE
R
WITH MELINDA MYERS
educe your stress, lower
your blood pressure,
improve your mood and save
money while working on
your green thumb. Research shows
gardening can do all this and more.
Gardening can help you lose weight,
tone your muscles and increase flexibility.
Improve your fitness. Burn calories and
increase muscle tone and flexibility.
The arthritis foundation encourages
movement and gardening is one great way.
schedules it’s a great way to combine a
visit with improving your landscape.
Make it an event. A plant swap,
weeding round robin or garden tour
makes gardening fun and lightens
everyone’s work load as you help each
other with planning, planting and
weeding. And be sure to include some
light refreshments, table decorations and
recipes using your homegrown produce.
And don’t worry if your skills and space
are limited. Everyone can increase the
beauty in their environment whether
just a balcony or several acres, without
a big increase in their budget. Include some herbs. Add flavor to your
meals and fun to your dining experience.
Have friends pluck fresh mint to flavor
their ice tea or mojito. And grow some
lovage. The celery flavor and hollow
stems make this the perfect straw for
your tomato juice or Bloody Mary.
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. And seasoned
gardeners can look for new ways to
increase their satisfaction and fun. 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. And you control
the chemicals used on your plants.
Convert underutilized and overlooked
areas into beautiful spaces used as small
outdoor living spaces, entertainment areas
or a quiet getaway. Container gardens,
green walls and window boxes add
planting space to once unplantable areas. 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. And don’t hesitate to include
a few annuals with your perennials.
They provide continuous bloom while
temporarily filling in space by new
plantings or voids in established gardens.
Brighten the indoors. Everyone,
especially those 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 others experience and new
perspective. And with everyone’s busy
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 every day in your garden, not only
keeps it looking good, it improves your
mood and lowers your blood pressure.
And most importantly, relax and have fun.
For more gardening information
visit www.melindamyers.com
18
Melinda Myers has written over
twenty gardening books, including
Small Space Gardening. She
hosts The Great Courses How
to Grow Anything DVD Series,
including Food Gardening For
Everyone (thegreatcourses.com/
courses/how-to-grow-anything-
food-gardening-for-everyone.html),
and the nationally syndicated
Melinda’s Garden Moment TV
and radio program. Melinda is
also a columnist and contributing
editor for Birds & Blooms
Magazine. Visit melindamyers.
com for more of her tips on
gardening and landscaping.