Amanda Jones is one of Ideal Home’s new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on sustainable living and decorating the home in ways that are good for the environment. Check out the rest of his articles here.
As I write this I am sitting in my garden, the sun is shining, it is warm. There is a glass of cold water on the table next to me, I am glad. I can hear the main road in the distance, my next door neighbor (in his 80’s) is digging next to it. vegetables Patch, neighbors building extensions at the bottom of my garden, I hear hammers and occasionally drills.
My focus, however, is on bird song, which is abundant. We are surrounded by mature trees, providing residence And food for them. I have crickets nesting in the bark of the roof, a robin in the conifer next door, and a dove that has found a place in a nearby tree trunk. In turbulent times my garden is my peace and my refuge, my grounding.
(Image credit: Amanda Jones)
Today we have many studies about the benefits of gardening on the human psyche and our mental health. Research confirms how human contact with soil can directly change the microbial content of our guts, creating happy hormones, leading to a better balance of our minds. There are also some progressive NHS trusts, which prescribe garden therapy alongside or instead of pharmaceutical interventions for those struggling with their mental health.
While all this is interesting, I want to write about how living in my garden has helped me cope with grief, accept new life and maintain balance, which is a challenging and complex life.
(Image credit: Amanda Jones)
I think it all started with my mother. She was a passionate gardener, despite her busy life, running a business, caring for her elderly parents and young family. Every spare moment she had, and it wasn’t that much, she would run to her little garden to tend to her plants. She grew vegetables, which was ironic because we lived in a corner shop and there was plenty of food available. The urge to grow your own food is strong when you have it.
I must have subconsciously been influenced by my mother’s passion for gardening, I certainly didn’t weed as well as her as a child, I hung out with my friends in the neighborhood (to be honest, I’m not sure how welcome I would have been, her garden was also her sanctuary). As soon as I got my own garden at the age of twenty-one I was hooked, only then did I understand why my mom needed it.
(Image credit: Amanda Jones)
At first gardening was a gentle hobby, pottering around my little patch, mainly on weekends or summer evenings. In hindsight, it helped me cope with some of the demands and stress at work, although I probably wouldn’t have made it clear at the time. When I had my family, at least for a while, the garden was their place to play. My needs fit around them, on the edges, in the flower the bed.
However as I grew up, it once again became an important place for me. The healing aspect of my garden really came into play when, within just a few months, my dear mother was diagnosed with dementia, and I became ill, later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. My whole life changed very suddenly, and I turned to my garden to cope with those changes. It has literally kept me sane in what has, at times, felt like a crazy life.
A few years later, when, due to my deteriorating health, I had to give up the career I loved, my garden became a new focus for me. A way to keep both my mind and body active. To do this I have had to make a lot of adaptations in my garden, and I may not be able to garden the way I used to, but the most important fact is that gardening is still accessible to me.
(Image credit: Amanda Jones)
For me, it’s a meditation. By focusing on one small task at a time, I try to tune out the worldly noise and sometimes the noise that accumulates in my head. Gardening reduces that noise, it never goes away completely, but for a while it’s a manageable whisper.
When we plant seeds, we plant hope in our hearts. When we plant a tree, we are building a future, the kind of future we envision for our grandchildren. Gardening gives me all the usual benefits, being outside, moving my uncooperative body, getting some vitamin D, connecting with nature. It also gives me an important dose of microbial soil medicine, which will seep into my brain and affect my mood. But much more than that, it’s about hope.
I cannot control what happens in the world, or what our leaders do or don’t do. I can’t control the damage that big corporations are doing to our planet. Neither can I handle the changes and complexities of life. However, I can control the love and care I give to the small part of the earth of which I am the custodian. Gardening really keeps me grounded, centered. He is my healer, keeping my mind filled with peace and hope.
