Green Fingers: Spend time in the garden to get energised
The ‘feel good’ factor increases dramatically in tandem with the increased daylight hours and warm and drier conditions.
The ‘feel good’ factor increases dramatically in tandem with the increased daylight hours and warm and drier conditions. This is apparent in countries that have more definite seasons, as it does not seem to occur in countries that have warm sunny weather for most of the year.
In countries north of us such as Scandinavia, many people who have been holed up indoors for the long winter seem to go quite mad when the spring arrives, with sometimes disastrous consequences, and the countries involved have programmes and methods to counteract this transient period. Our transition from one season to the next is not normally so acute or sudden, so while we might be excited to exit the winter, it is done in a more discreet and reserved manner. But this year going from a miserable winter into a late spring, we would have had a taste of that Scandinavian feeling.
This is why it is important to be able to go outdoors feeling liberated and free, smelling the good clean air and just soak in the atmosphere. This feeling is dramatically increased when among the natural world, and therefore spending time walking hills or mountains, rivers or by the sea is an enticing draw and a free pick-me-up. The same can be obtained by spending time in your garden and just getting involved in some activity there, and that can include having a complement of animals around such as a dog, cat and some chickens too.
It is very difficult to describe the fulfilment of being involved in nature, which includes the popular activity of gardening. I suppose this would include the mind, body and soul, something that could be debated for a long time without coming to the exact definition or description of what the feeling is inside you but, it is a very happy place to be and I would encourage everyone to venture down this road, with a free and open mind and see what happens. There is no need to be an expert in anything, just relax and let nature work its way into you.
Just as there are things that boost our imagination, satisfaction, joy and love, so too are similar things in gardening. The simple fact of sowing seeds and watching them grow is as fascinating as more complicated operations but, there are many people who shy away from this and want to buy the plants ready to be planted out. There is much to learn and this continues as long as you are gardening and most likely you will not become bored as no year or season is the same as another and, there are plenty of guidelines to steer you in the right direction.
Everyone loves treats and gardening is no different. There are so many beautifully plants our there, it is like being in a sweet shop- too much to choose from! A quick fix is to bring home a selection of the many varied patio summer plants and plant up a few containers, window boxes or hanging baskets, all of which will take a few hours and you are set up for the summer-just water frequently and add some feed every 14 days.
Conditions have improved for plant growth in recent weeks and this is good news.
The small downside is that weeds are also ready to go wild and while they might look small and innocent at the moment, they will within weeks cause havoc in your garden.
While not the most glamorous of jobs, do set aside some time to get rid of these weeds and sooner rather than later.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmailcom and if of general interest I will include it in a future article.
