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Gardening with Terri
A die-hard gardener? You bet I am!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
This all came about when I had a conversation with an individual not that long ago. The comment was, “Why are you so involved with a “hobby” that takes up a lot of your spare time – can be very labourious – is almost a certainty that it may affect your joints, back and all over body aches – expose you to frostbite, bee stings, soil borne diseases…?” And the list went on and on!Well after hearing all that, for one very brief nano-second I thought – wow, this person may have a point in there somewhere, but before that second was over, all I could think of was how much I love the thought of being creative, seeing things grow and being a part of it all. That was all I needed to say.
It’s not only my personal opinion, but numerous studies have been researched to document what the benefits are of getting down and dirty by tinkering in our yards and gardens.
Even when I come in from a days gardening, thoroughly drained and ready for the hot tub, there is an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and purpose.
Even senior citizens that have accessibility to a little garden area say that gardening can provide a wonderful sense of renewal for them
A study was done in several hospitals where a group of patients that had rooms where they could look out the window that had a courtyard view recovered better than those patients who were in rooms that did not have scenic views.
There have been behavioural studies that proved that people under the influence of flowers and plants show more compassion towards others, have less worry, can minimize anxiety and feel less depressed. They feel less negativity around them and that they are more likely to feel happier with more plants at home or at work.
So there are just a few benefits of why I’m a die-hard gardener.
Next on the agenda are questions I’m getting about the state of some gardens due to the unusually mild winter we’ve had. Some garden plants seem to be breaking dormancy. Some buds look like they’re swelling and there have even been reports of some hosta pips and other plants breaking ground. Well, there really isn’t too much we can do. Maybe a little more mulch over the emerging ground plants to try and keep the temperature consistent might help. On the positive side, the shorter days are still keeping plants dormant as best it can. Even though we have had some warm days, the nights are still remaining a bit cooler which hopefully keep ground plants in check. If all you are seeing right now is foliage and a big freeze comes, the best case scenario is that only the foliage will die back but the plant itself will recover in the spring. It may not have the best showing or flowering this year, but it will regain its strength through this season and then it will be business as usual the following year.
Meanwhile, take advantage of this great weather. Get out there and pick up broken branches, get the jump on taking out those cold weather weeds and push any heaved plants back into the soil.If you’re still in gardening withdrawal and itching to be around anything that has garden attitude, then think about joining a garden or Horticultural society. You’ll be glad you did.
That's it for now – enjoy and Happy Gardening!
Terri Dent is home grown from Chatham-Kent. Her roots began on a farm in Raleigh Township. She moved to the big city of Chatham when she married in 1971 but the love of the land and nature has always remained in her blood. Her big push into horticulture started in the 80's. She and husband Ron (with tender persuasion) decided to turn their suburban plot - which their house laid on, into something more than a patch of grass. Through numerous gardening and horticultural courses, Terri harnessed the knowledge to move full steam ahead and hasn't looked back. She has a Diploma in Garden and Landscape Design and believes continuous education is a must in the horticultural world. Terri was instrumental in starting up Garden Tours in Chatham and has won numerous local and regional gardening awards. The Dent's garden has been published in several magazines and is listed as a the number one top area garden in the Ontario's Great Gardens to Visit book authored by a Patricia Singer of Toronto. Terri's past speaking engagements have been to business, church groups, libraries and Horticultural Societies. Terri presently sits on the Board of Directors for the Blenheim-Harwich Horticultural Society.
