Gardening Therapy

Many people enjoy gardening and I am finding out that a lot of people like pulling weeds too.   There are many therapudic benefits to gardening.  It is a healthy activity for the body, mind and soul.  There is pleasure and satisfaction of watching the seeds you planted transform themselves into a beautiful flower or vegetable. It is wonderful to enjoy your home grown food in a meal or make a lovely bouquet from flowers in your garden.



While I have always enjoyed digging in the earth,  planting and harvesting vegetables as well as growing and arranging flowers, not everyone starts out gardening from youth.  Many people may only start gardening later in life when other activities are no longer as easy or they take it up as a hobby once they are retired. 

At the nursing home where my Father resides (he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2009) the residents enjoyed planting the flower beds and raised vegetable beds in the spring.  Many of them assist daily in the maintenance of the garden; deadheading and watering.  Even my Father who never was really much of a gardener (although when he lived with me he didn't mind pulling a few weeds once in a while) enjoys checking on his cucumber, basil and green pepper plants to see how they are coming along.  His garden and mine act as a common ground for a conversation starter when I go to visit and also a good reason for me to coax him outside to visit instead of staying in. 



My Father



Raised vegetable garden at the nursing home

Dad's peppers

Dad's cucumbers

Whatever the reason for your garden and wherever you have one I hope you get as much joy from it as I do from mine.