GARDENING: 5 WAYS IT KEEPS MY HEARTBEAT AWESOME
Food insecurity of Canada
On May 20, 2023 (Updated May 31, 2023), Ms. Kate Allen of Toronto Star published an article titled,
“Is this the end of lettuce? Why Canada’s food supply is headed for unchartered territory.”
It goes on to state:
“Approximately three quarters of all produce consumed in Canada is imported, and California supplies a major chunk of that. So, Canadians feel it when California is hammered by drought, flooding and other weather extremes.”
For Canadians, especially, to imagine how huge is the importation, she says:
“Picture the Titanic, except filled with lettuce instead of passengers. Now picture five Titanics filled with lettuce, plus another half-filled ship. Picture this armada of ships, laden with romaine, spring mix, red leaf, green leaf and iceberg, all setting sail for Canada…This is how much lettuce our country imports every year: 265,000 metric tons in 2022 alone.”
At The Home Depot you find …
For the past few weeks, I have visited the Home Depot three times. This has been routine for me every middle of spring. And, as usual, the place is teeming with people who look serious in what they are about to do. In their carts and trollies are materials needed for building something and anything, all for the outdoors.
The lady at war with herd of deer
In one checkout queue I happened to engage someone in a short conversation. She caught me sizing up her loaded trolley. Almost sounding apologetic, she offered: “Oh, I need to have a stronger defense this year. For the past couple of years, a bunch of deer ravaged my backyard gardens. A no-nonsense fencing this time will do the trick.” And judging by the materials she was buying, it looked like a major spring project ahead.
…People that look happy
There is another thing that I have noticed when I am at the Home Depot during this time of year. Most, if not all, people that I find crawling around the sprawling and cavernous home improvement retailer have that joyful look on their faces. There is a sense of purpose and urgency. You don’t see any lethargic gait or trot in them. Whatever they are about to do at home, or have been doing, obviously gives them that extra energy to be up and about.
The Home Depot is heaven for gardeners
For those not familiar with the Home Depot, it is an American big-box store that one can find across the United States, all 10 provinces of Canada and 32 Mexican states. It sells all kinds of tools, construction products and materials, big item appliances, tool rentals, and other services. For professional contractors and DIY wannabes, the place is the real deal. Their slogan says it all, “More saving, more doing.”
So, whether it is the more saving, the one-stop shop convenience of the place, or just the doing itself, people inside the Home Depot are definitely happy-looking outdoors enthusiasts.
…and healthy
And I might add that they also look healthy. Many of them have that brawny physical vibe, or simply that tanned skin. Watching them hauling and loading those materials on their trucks and pickups, one can conclude that outdoors activity is not for the faint of heart.
Are they able to engage and enjoy doing their DIY projects because they are fit and strong, or it is this springtime ritual that contributes to their physical well-being in the first place?
Gardening in Canada
It is more about growing own food
Speaking of gardening, here in Canada there is more to it than growing your own greens and flowers and make some savings in your pockets. You see, it can be a little expensive growing your own gardens. If you are serious about having a decent harvest, you invest in bags of all kinds of soil, organic fertilizers, fencing materials, seeds or seedlings, and even ergonomics garden tools.
Friendly war with small animals
It also means outsmarting critters like chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, etc. These unwanted visitors are regular features in gardening in Canada. They are a part of Canadian landscape, so to speak. You do not destroy them; you constantly find ways to outfox them.
Red hot chili pepper on a chipmunk’s ass
A few years ago, I had the biggest regret when it came to the pesky chipmunks. One springtime I found myself replanting vegetable seedlings three times, courtesy of these buggers. It was as if they were really taunting me. It was so frustrating.
One day I found a simple solution on YouTube. It says put a good amount of powdered dried hot chili peppers around the young plants, and all pests would never even think of going near the garden. Voila! It looked very effective. But, as I said, I regretted doing that.
My deepest regret
Three days later I saw a very sick chipmunk dragging half its body near my garden bed. When I checked closely, I could see its underbelly was so red and raw. The chili powder was so potent, the poor critter must have found its exposed body so hot it never stopped scratching it until almost all its innards were exposed.
Since then, I never attempted anything that would protect my gardens and harm these little creatures at the same time. What I did was to go to Home Depot, play a little of MacGyver and invent my own garden security.
My garden can co-exist with these critters
At last, the critters have lost the war. All they could do was to salivate at the veggies in my garden. However, to compensate for their loss, I made sure that my bird feeders would include some of their favorite seeds and what-nots.
Blue Jays, Crows, and Cardinals are some of the picky birdies I see in my backyard. Certain seeds in the feeders they dislike they purposely toss into the ground. There below, wait the mischievous chipmunks and black squirrels.
What a happy ending!
So, what is it about gardening?
If home gardening in Canada is not about solving the growing challenges facing the country with its heavy dependence on imports from places like California, is there more to gardening? If it entails some expenses and constant battle with Canadian critters, why do I keep doing it every middle of spring?
5 Health Benefits Why I Keep Gardening
One: I have one more reason to rise early!
During spring, when garden activities start, there is always an added motivation to rise from bed early. There is that excitement to check how the vegetables and flowers are doing. To think that I had just checked on them 12 hours ago.
Come to think of it. Snow season in Canada is getting longer, most times it extends to 5 or even 6 months! During this period the main reason I peek outside the window is to check how thick is the ice and snow on the driveway. And there’s not much motivation to smile at all. Unless, of course, you love winter with all the outdoors sports activities that you enjoy every year.
So, yes, the gardens and the beautiful sunshine are the best respite after a long blue winter.
In life, it makes a huge difference when you find reasons to keep looking forward. You end the night with gratitude for the passing of day. In the morning you hope and wish that this day is a better day.
Life starts to see death when there is nothing exciting to see ahead.
Two: My body manufactures Vitamin D!
It was in grade school that I first encountered the words chlorophyl and photosynthesis. The former is vital for the latter to enable plants to absorb energy from sunlight and produce their own food.
Our body is a miracle worker
And it was in high school that I understood in detail how our own human body works like plants do when it comes to harnessing the health benefits of sunlight.
Remember photosynthesis?
Our human skin is capable of photosynthesis, producing a very important nutrient: Vitamin D. As we all know, vitamin D is essential for numerous healthy functions of the body. The two most common are our immune system and bone structure. It also decreases the risk of different types of cancer.
So, a few moments in the garden under the nutrient-producing sunlight helps my body manufacture vitamin D. This means I can afford not to buy a bottle of pills for this. As long as there is my garden waiting for me outside, and the sun is shining over it, I save a few dollars.
Warning:
You may need to know how long you expose your body to the sun without risking to skin cancer!
Three: I have maintained my body weight for 20 years!
When I am tending my garden, every move I make is a form of exercise. Not an inch of muscle is spared. No wonder, at the end of the day I could feel the sore all over my body.
Is this also the reason why, with my love of gardening, I have been able to maintain my weight for more than 20 years now? I believe so. And exerting so much physical energy may explain why during late spring and the whole summer it is so easy for me to lose myself into deep slumber during the night. I always have a very good night’s sleep. And I thank my garden for that.
Four: It helps in my cognitive skills like memory!
Ageing is inevitable. And part of getting old is the decline in memory. And I cannot escape this mortal reality. I can only delay it.
Science has taught us that one way of delaying the loss of cognitive skills is exercise. And gardening, as I said, is a form of real exercise.
However, new studies have shown too that gardening, on its own, has been found to have special effect on some brain nerve growth that is connected to memory skill. The evidence has never been stronger that the plants themselves affect the human brain functions. There are certain chemicals that they breathe out that benefit our mental well-being.
There is a reason why health experts encourage us to take a walk in the woods. Plants and trees emit more than just oxygen.
Five: I notice it improves my mood!
Watching my flowers and vegetables develop from sprouts or seeds to developing tiny leaves always brings joy to my face. They do not fail to uplift my mood.
There are times when I feel overwhelmed by different kinds of concerns in life, and I notice the anxiety levels rise. But then a short tour in my garden eases that tight feeling.
Science now has evidence that plants have something that affects the lowering of our stress hormone called cortisol.
This always fascinates me. I do not doubt that humans and plants do have some kind of connectedness. We just take this little mystery for granted.
So, there you go. The 5 reasons why I love gardening. It is more about having my own supply of fresh green veggies on the table. Or enjoying the colorful blooming cascades of the flowers.
HEARTBEAT OF A BABY
Just last week I went to my doctor for a routine check. The first thing the assistant did was to do the blood pressure check. After a minute, she turned to me with her very sweet smile. She said,
“Congratulations! Your BP is awesome. You have a heartbeat of a baby!”
Has gardening something to do with it? Of course, I believe so.
Do you?
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