The Therapeutic Benefits of Gardening
Find inner peace from a busy world by growing your own calm.
Seek out nature’s soothing spaces and cultivate mental and physical wellness in your own garden. Just a short time experiencing the fullness of nature can be so replenishing and restorative. Whether in a beautiful urn, a small backyard plot or pretty pots on a windowsill, there’s something deeply life-giving in growing a little green world of flowers, herbs or veggies.
Gardening is a form of therapy that costs little but flourishes with benefits for your mind, body and soul. When we nurture nature, we are nurtured. Being outdoors digging in the soil gets us active and reduces stress and blood pressure and boosts immunity, sleep and energy. It calms the anxious mind and refreshes the spirit, nourishing all our senses:
Touch, Smell, Sight, Taste & Sound
Gardening is soul care. Digging and delving in the dirt helps us relax and let go. An escape from the daily bustle and a chance to catch your breath and be lost in thought. We tend to breathe deeper when outside and this increases oxygen levels in the blood and clears away the mental fog. And witnessing the fragile green growth brought forth by our caring hands can bring so much satisfaction and boost self-esteem.
A garden retreat is self-care and May and June are the perfect months to refresh, replenish and renew your health by creating your own special soul-soothing space. Nothing large or elaborate is required. A few clay pots of easy-to-grow Black-eyed Susans, sunflowers or zinnias on your deck will lift your mood. A small veggie patch will nourish your heart and health when picking from your own personal organic produce aisle. Even a few containers of aromatic herbs such as lavender, sage, basil or thyme can provide healing and nourishment.
Start small and let things bloom. It’s a relatively short growing season, so you’ll want to make the most of it. You can sow your own seeds or buy seedling plants for instant magic. If you’re thinking of planting edible plants, pick fast-growing crops to maximize your harvest and sow throughout the season. Fast-growing vegetables, like your lush leafy greens, radishes and peas, all thrive when planted directly into the soil and establish quickly, so you get the first harvest while other plants are still maturing.
Produce always tastes better when it’s fresh and you’ll doubly benefit from the unique health properties of your organic picks – peppers contain capsaicin, which can reduce high blood pressure and has an anti-diabetic effect. Spinach boosts your immune system. Tomatoes are high in potassium and vitamin C, and lycopene, which is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Broccoli protects your body’s cells, while sweet potatoes are packed with beta carotene, which lowers the risk of certain cancers and slows the aging process.
And leafy greens burst with healthy goodness. Packed with essential vitamins along with fibre, antioxidants and minerals like calcium and iron, they support vision, heart health and immunity, improve digestion and reduce inflammation. Raw, roasted, sautéed or blended, leafy produce brings on strong bones, radiant skin and a healthy immune system.
Caring for your garden with your hands and heart will yield a harvest of health. Digging, seeding, watering and weeding our garden will bring growth and blossoms – much like the garden of our mind. Weeds like negative thoughts and habits can infiltrate our inner garden, and quickly take over, hindering growth and choking out our dreams and positivity. Without regular prying, pulling and removing, life’s weeds diminish wellbeing and we don’t flourish.
We need to pay attention to self-care to keep ourselves blooming and thriving, and gardens are places to do just that. Here at Ste. Anne’s, our calming gardens provide therapy that feeds your health and happiness. We grow your wellness – flowers, herbs and vegetables provide an abundance of therapeutic benefits for guests in the form of our organic Skin Nourishment line, apothecary products, blissful body treatments, and delicious dining infused with seasonal delights.
Our beautiful gardens are built on love and connecting our guests with that powerful force of love is healing and life-changing. Come, blossom in our therapeutic green spaces that offer balm for your weary soul. Connect with your spirit, and just be. By sharing nature’s restorative gifts, we can make the world a beautiful, peaceful place.
