Finding My Peace In the Garden

In the same way garden weeds choke out flowers, the hectic activity of life felt like it was choking out any sense of peace. With a large family, financial pressures, and just general busyness, I started to find it hard to carve out time for self-care. Thankfully, I found a way to ground myself and reclaim that inner peace — in my own garden.

Early each morning, when the sun was just peeking over the trees and the dew was dripping across the grass, I would slip into my flip-flops, grab a steaming cup of coffee, and head to the garden all by myself. The plants were thirsty, and I was there to help.

A few days into my new routine, I realized this wasn’t just another task that needed to be done. This was a chance for me to ease into my day before the children were awake, and before the incessant demands to feed empty bellies and pay bills and wash clothes grabbed away all my time. It was a chance to get my toes in the dirt, breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun on my face, and find my peace.

Photo by Markus Spicke on Unsplash

I felt so alive there in my garden, with a hose in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. I would tiptoe through the squash patch, snag a cherry tomato or two, and admire the peppers. I shrugged at the failing eggplants (I never could get the hang of those). Then, after I was done watering, I would stuff my pockets with pea pods and peppers, load up my shirttails like a basket and fill it with squash, and tomatoes, and sprigs of mint for tea.

Not only did it help me relax, I felt like I was being productive and doing something special for my family, too. It became an easy rhythm, and not surprisingly so when you look at the evidence for just how much the outdoors — and especially gardening — is good for us.

Researchers with the Environmental Horticulture Department, the UF College of Medicine, the UF Center for Arts in Medicine, and the UF Wilmot Botanical Gardens did a study on 32 women. They found that gardening decreased anxiety and improved mental health. In other studies, we see that sunlight decreases blood pressure and also increases Vitamin D.

It doesn’t stop there. Additional studies show certain bacteria in soil can act like an antidepressant, triggering the release of feel-good hormones. Physical activity, such as digging or raking, is excellent for our strength and cardiovascular systems, and a healthier diet is known to improve both physical and mental health.

Getting in the garden just makes life better with good food, physical activity, and better mental health.

But I didn’t know any of that when I started gardening. I just knew I loved the feel of the sun-warmed soil, enjoyed the busy activity of the pollinators flitting around the garden, and the tasty meals that I could cook straight from the garden. I knew I felt better each day I spent a little time outside, in my garden. It was like a pre-emptive strike against the stress that would come later in the day.

My early morning gardening made me feel grounded and ready to tackle whatever life threw at me. And when my children eventually discovered I was alone in the garden, I was ready for the incoming barrage of hugs, kisses, and inevitable fights for the garden hose.

It was still early, but it was already a better day with a bit of time in the garden.