Gardening for Therapy Tips and Tricks for Relaxation through Gardening
It does not matter about the size of your garden, as long as it is there to give you endless hours of pleasure, you are going to find this a haven in which you can de-stress yourself and relax at the end of a hard day’s work.
Doctors have begun asking their heart patients to take up gardening as a relaxing therapy, and this book is going to tell you all about how to take full benefit of the gentle exercise for the body, as well as a relaxing and soothing therapy for your mind.
According to studies, it has been proved that middle-aged men with high risk of coronary diseases and stress-related diseases are expected to live longer if they take some sort of regular to moderate exercise, especially in the open air, and in a garden. These outdoor activities include gardening, fishing, walking, or doing any sort of activity which does not exert them much in the open air.
Gardening has long been known to be an excellent stress buster. Down the ages, anybody who got up in the morning with a bit of a black monkey on his shoulder was immediately turned out doors, with a pick or a shovel and told to dig in the ground. This physical exercise in itself was enough to make his mind free of stress and tension. Also, when people were disturbed, they went out for long walks, so that they could grow calm in heart, body, soul and spirit.
When we were young, we were encouraged to dig our hands deep in mother earth, feeling the rich soil against our fingers. Apart from that, the happiness in seeing our planted seedlings take root, and then bear fruit was one of the most positive of joys, a child could achieve.
Aaah, one of the supreme joys of childhood, getting wet while watering the garden!
This reconnecting with the earth by digging your hands into the soil is considered to be the most natural and primitive forms of healing therapy. That is the reason why you are going to find a lot of old folks who work on their little farms extremely stress-free and relaxed. Most of the time, these people are going to say that their long life and healthy life is majorly due to their interest in gardening.
There is also another very positive facet of gardening. A lot of people find it very peaceful and tranquil, when they move about in the gardens which they have created themselves. Apart from the sense of achievement, there is also a positive feeling that you have contributed to making your surroundings more pleasant, beautiful and green. Apart from that, you have the benefit of the harvest from things that you have grown yourself.
According to a number of veteran garden hobbyists, they say that working with the soil is satisfying to the heart, body and soul. Apart from allowing you plenty of scope for physical exercise, you are also going to see the visible results of your garden growing, right in front of your eyes.
These results are going to feed your body with nutrient rich natural products. Apart from this, you can also make ornamental spaces designed to nourish your spirit. Japanese Zen gardens are a prime example of wide-open peaceful spaces, giving you spiritual as well as physical solace.
Gardening for Beginners
Here are some useful tips and techniques, which are going to help you get involved in gardening.
Gardening Tools
Collect at least these gardening tools in the initial stages when you are starting out. A shovel and a fork. A small trowel and a three-pronged fork is excellent for window gardening. A pair of sturdy hand gloves, and I always use one of my kitchen aprons when I do a little bit of messy gardening.
I got the wooden three piece set for USD1.99, on eBay, looking for gardening tools. Look for free shipping. The pink handled set is called a ladies gardening gift set found on eBay UK. I think I paid about seven dollars for them. The gloves are also from China and I made the kitchen apron by cutting two half circles for the shoulders from both the corners of a square, and then hemming it. Attach two strings of the cut cloth – stitched to make strings – to the edges of the neck portion, to tie around your neck. Attach two strings, at waist level, so that you have the apron tied snugly around your waist.
Total time to make an apron – 20 minutes at the most. That was because I stitched a square piece of waterproof cloth to the back of the apron, cut to the size of the front portion. Stitch and wear. A glimpse of the waterproof cloth can be seen under the right hand corner glove. It is a thick polythene like material, normally used here for waterproof table cloths.
Caring for Your Plants – Tips
Study the growing conditions available to you for your plants before you plant them. You are going to learn this through experience, and by asking the advice of the people around you are keen garden enthusiasts.
Remember that you are going to find less light indoors than that which is found outside. All plants need sufficient light growth properly. A plant that is 6 feet or more away from light is not going to survive. Instead, you are going to have lanky and weak plants through lack of sunlight.
For example, cacti need plenty of sunlight and they do not thrive inside there are other plans which need less light, but very few plants are going to tolerate poor light, especially that from indoor lighting for long.
Remember to place your indoor plants in the sun location taking care not to let them scorch. Also move them all around the house, occasionally. Plants placed directly under a lamp slight are going to thrive well, but they are going to require frequent watering.
Frequent watering is also necessary for your plants outdoor, especially when they are in their growing stage.
Most plants grow well in the temperature range of about 15 to 21°C colored foliage leaves have to be kept in sunlight to heighten their color.
Plants which are grouped are going to thrive well because the air around them has a high moisture content. Also, group plants have a high range of humidity.
I saw one of my friends placing a plant near her refrigerator, because she said that that area would be cool. I said it was not because a refrigerator gave off waste heat during the cooling process!
Also remember that any plant, which is kept near a radiator is going to dry because of the heat. Remember to water your indoor plants very carefully so that water does not flow all over the house.
Pour water on the soil, but the leaves may be dusty and need to be refreshed. You can clean them up by mist spraying water on them from a plastic spray bottle with a nozzle. This is going to wash away the dust.
This also temporarily covers the plants with a thin film of moisture. It also keeps away insects. When you are cleaning the large sized leaves of foliage like Coladium and Ficus, you can do that by wiping them gently with a piece of foam after squeezing out the water.
If you have placed some plants on the table, or near the carpet, this method is going to prevent the carpets and the tabletops from getting wet and stained. Also water the plants before you do the mopping up of the house, so that you do not need to do any re-mopping.
You may also want to get rid of occasional pests by spraying the leaves with a soap water solution.
This book tells you how you can enjoy growing plants, and relaxing outdoors or indoors, surrounded by greenery. You can arrange a few small plants on your windowsills or place an attractive small two – three tiered bench filled with assorted plants on your doorstep.
Cacti, succulents and geraniums like the filtered sunlight through the window glass panes. Creepers are also going to make your window grills more attractive. But make sure that you are able to shut the windows when required! Also make sure that your plants do not obstruct your supply of fresh air from outdoors, or even the view.
Enjoy growing plants, Live Long and Prosper!
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