Over Columbus Day weekend, I was able to get outside and do some gardening, and reconnect with the Earth. I collected some hot peppers, green beans, some tomatoes, the last of the cucumbers from the garden, and did some cleanup too.
I also was able to plant a few perennials that my mother and sister shared with me, mowed some of the lawn, did a little bit of pruning, and dug up and replanted some perennials that were crowded. It felt so good to be digging in the dirt! Working in the garden always makes me happy; I love the exercise, I love the results, and I love the DIY factor. And, I feel better when I work in the garden for good reason.
As mentioned previously in my blog, I read about
research at Bristol University and University College London. Researchers there have discovered that the harmless, naturally occurring soil bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae helps elevate your mood. Christopher Lowry, a neuroscientist at the University of Bristol in England, thinks that "the bacteria activate immune cells, which release chemicals called cytokines that then act on receptors on the sensory nerves to increase their activity." Mycobacterium vaccae, may also be able to alleviate depression, and activate serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain.
So, gardening does lift my mood, and weeding, digging in the garden, planting, etc. could help get you in a good mood too. Even a walk in the woods may do the trick because scientists believe that simply inhaling the bacteria results in a healthy dose. Lowry indicates, “you can also ingest mycobacteria either through water sources or through eating plants—lettuce that you pick from the garden, or carrots." So what are you waiting for? Get out there and get down and DIRTY and in the process enjoy some natural prozac in the form of a small bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae.
Lowry's Study “Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28 in Neuroscience.
Sources: http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac, http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/uob-gdm033007.php
Everyone loves surprises, right?
Well, my compost has provided me with some fun surprises over the years. How did the compost give back this time? Recently I composted directly under a tree that was in need of some organic TLC, and then added some grass clippings on top of it. Later I added bark mulch on top to pretty it up. The other day, as I walked by the tree I notice some dark green seedlings and chuckled to myself. A few days later, there was a strange mound under the tree, and when I took a closer look, I saw that more seedlings were pushing up on the mulch creating the mound. I dug down and found the cast off seed pods. I'm pretty sure they are butternut squash seeds. If I am correct about the seeds, it looks like the yummiest butternut squash soup scraps have resulted in a bunch of healthy seedlings, and hopefully more yummy squash.
It's not the first time that the compost has given back either! In the past, I composted into a corner of the garden, and we ended up with a cantaloupe plant that yielded some small but tasty melons. Since the garden was reconfigured I can't compost into the corner, but this year I already found some tomato seedlings from some cherry tomatoes that fell to the ground last year. It's always fun to get surprises, and I'm excited to find out if the surprise seedlings will really be squash. Stay tuned!
Ahhh spring, and gardening...I love to spend time in my gardens, both my flower gardens and vegetable garden. I get such pleasure from looking at the flowers, and later on, eating the fresh, organically grown veggies. But as any gardener will tell you, weeds also come with the territory. I spend a lot of time weeding instead of pouring toxic chemicals on my lawn and flower beds. One of my favorite tools is my weeder, and that's just how I get the dandelions :) One at a time, a few a day, green babysteps! Try it!! Weeding can actually be therapeutic if you think of it that way instead of drudgery...it's a time to reflect and listen to the birds, and the wind, and savor being outside in nature :) http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-Weeder-1983800/dp/B00004S1ZK/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1272338528&sr=1-15
