New Reduce Stress with Gardening

Many people in our country today are working in high-stress environments that leave them exhausted, irritable and difficult to be around.  Add to that long commutes, and the demands of family including children.  Stress can lead to some serious physical as well as mental problems. It is important, therefore, to reduce stress as much as possible whenever possible.

One way to reduce stress is to engage in an activity that is opposite what you do during the day, on your job.  Over the years I have suggested gardening as a stress reducing tool. Gardening does not have to be strenuous to be effective, and it can be fun.  Besides the benefit of doing something physical, you can produce some beautiful results that will contribute to a beautiful yard or patio. 

There is a sense of pride that comes with planting a rose bush, for example, feeding and watering it, and watching it produce beautiful blooms. Or you may want to grow orchids.  For people who have houses, there will be plenty of places to put blooming plants to beautify your yard and perhaps over time to make a place where you can sit quietly and enjoy what you have done. Check with your local nursery to see which plants grow best in your area.

For those who live in apartments, you might consider container gardening.  If you have a small patio or porch, you can put many kinds of plants in pots and watch them flourish. It is amazing how many different flowering plants can be grown in pots.  Miniature roses do well as do bulbs.  Unless you have a large pot, if you want roses it is best to stay with the miniature type.  A warning.  Well cared for and fed miniature roses can become quite large.

Plants inside your home are also a beautiful touch.  They add to any decor, and need little care beyond watering and regular feeding.  Some of my house plants are more than 20 years old, and all I do is water and feed weekly, then trim every so often.  Put a plant on a tall plant stand in a corner where there is plenty of light, but not a lot of direct sun.

Before you start any of this it would be a good idea to go to a local nursery or home improvement store where they sell plants, and just look around.  Think about where you would like to place your plants, how big they will become, and the type care they would need.  A terrific starter plant for inside is Pothos.  It will grow in nothing but water, and if fed weekly produces huge beautiful green leaves. Once rooted in water, you can plant in soil, unless you have already purchased one that is potted.  You can put different varieties in the same pot for an interesting look.

When we work with living plants, nurture and cultivate them, feed and water them, we derive a sense of accomplishment and pride.  You will find yourself de-stressing and enjoying what you have done to beautify your home and garden.