Rediscover nature through backyard gardening

One way to re-establish contact with nature while continuing to live in urban areas is to start gardening. Gardening is perhaps the easiest and the most convenient way to rediscover your connection with nature. You can plant a whole garden in your backyard or, if space is a constraint, you can start with your small balcony.

Although home gardening makes your house look beautiful and adds a different kind of charm to it, the benefits of gardening extend to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Let’s find out how gardening can nourish your body and soul.

The health benefits of backyard gardening

1. Gardening is an excellent workout

Movement of the body is vital for good health and protects us from many diseases. Doctors and health experts recommend that for optimum health and fitness, one should exercise daily. However, running/walking outdoors or on a treadmill becomes monotonous and boring. Gyms too lose their attraction after a few days or weeks unless you are a fitness enthusiast.

The best thing about backyard gardening is that it doesn’t feel like a workout. It is an engaging activity that involves your body and mind. Plus, it not monotonous at all. Because it is done outdoors, you are inhaling fresher air. Almost your entire body gets a workout in the different aspects of gardening: tilling the soil, removing weeds, planting new seeds, watering the plants, plucking fruits, adding fertilisers, and so much more. Backyard gardening is a fun way to make your kids exercise as they don’t even realise that they are working out.

2. It encourages healthy eating

Backyard gardening offers you the opportunity to grow your own food. When you start eating food produced in your own little home garden, you will feel a different kind of satisfaction. Plus, Unlike commercially grown fruits and veggies, the food you grow in your backyard garden is free of harmful chemicals and pesticides. The effort you put into growing your own food will help you appreciate the value of nourishment which packaged foods are devoid of.

3. Your home garden is a source of fresh air

Plants and trees inhale carbon monoxide and exhale oxygen and are nature’s very own air purifiers. Fresh, clean air is becoming a rarity in urban areas, with pollution levels threatening to cause widespread disease. Along with plants that give fruits and vegetables, you can choose a few that are known for their air-purifying properties. Tulsi (basil) and snake plant are two popular options.

4. Gardening boosts your immunity

Studies have established that exposure to microbes present in soil boosts the immune system. The presence of certain organisms and environmental factors provides the immune system with information it needs to function. The exposure to sunlight helps the body produce vitamin-D, which too helps in improving your immune system besides a host of other benefits.

The benefits of backyard gardening on mental health

The benefits of home gardening extend beyond physical health; gardening is known to be great for your psychological health too. Here are a few ways in which backyard gardening can help boost your mental and emotional wellbeing.

1. Backyard gardening can help you combat everyday stress

We are facing a stress epidemic in the world today and gardening helps us combat this menace. A study conducted in The Netherlands established that gardening led to significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol as compared to other leisure activities such as reading.

An hour tending to your garden is much better than watching a movie or taking a walk. Since gardening activities are mostly carried out outdoors during the day, you get exposure to sunlight, which helps ease Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD], a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. There is also evidence that soil contains a microbiome that works as an antidepressant.

2. Gardening cultivates a sense of responsibility and patience

We live in a fast-paced world with all the conveniences delivered right at our doorstep 24/7, 365 days a year. In an era of instant messengers and food delivery apps, we have forgotten that patience is a virtue. Gardening helps us rediscover the beauty of slow and steady. Because nurturing plants requires us to give all our attention—right from the moment we sow the seed—gardening cultivates in us a sense of responsibility and patience. These, in turn, help us cope with life’s challenges better.

3. It helps manage anger and lessens agitation

Gardening can help calm your nerves and release your anger or agitation. Physical activities such as digging, ploughing and de-weeding help discharge any negative emotional charge you might carry back from work or face at home due to any number of reasons. Bring out your shovel and get to work; cut a few buds or trim the grass. Attend to the needs of your garden and soon you will regain your composure which, in turn, will help you see your situation in a better light.

4. Gardening connects us to nature

Modern technologies have its advantages but one of its more serious drawbacks is that we have lost our connection to nature and that has had a detrimental effect on the human psyche. The life force that powers us is the same life force that flows through all of Nature. Backyard gardening can help reconnect us with Nature and recognise how intrinsically we are connected. When we start gardening, we feel a sense of oneness with the whole of existence, and that helps expand our perspectives of living and relating with everyone and everything.

The post 8 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Gardening appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The container

Coriander seeds should be sowed in the container in which you plan to let it grow. This means that if you plant the seeds in a small container or cup, hoping that once they sprout, you will transplant them to a bigger container, then forget it. Coriander does not do well after a transplant. It will simply wilt away and die. So, choose a container that is big enough to start with and will give you a decent amount of coriander harvest.

Make sure the container has drainage holes in it for the water to drain out easily otherwise it will cause rotting of the roots. I usually use trays/tubs to grow them since the soil surface is more in tubs and hence we can grow multiple rows of coriander. Fill the tray with potting mix all the way up to half inch from the top. Then make rows in the soil by drawing a line with your finger or a stick. This makes it easy to sow and also easy at the time of harvesting. The tray is now ready for the seeds to be sowed.

The seeds

Coriander seed is technically a fruit containing two seeds in it. So the round coriander seeds that you probably use in your cooking so often, has two seeds in it. Each of them will grow into a coriander plant. The fruit can be sown whole or split and sown. Splitting increases the germination rate.

So how to go from a whole coriander seed to a split one, without having to split each seed individually? The way I do it is, I wear a slipper in my hand, spread the seeds on the floor [preferably a rough floor], and move the slipper over the seeds while pressing them. This is not the place to show your strength! Remember to be gentle; we are not making coriander powder.

The sowing

Once you have the split seeds, simply sprinkle them over the rows that you had made in the tray. Don’t crowd the seeds too close to each other as the leaves will need space to grow well. You need about 5cm between each plant for the leaves to get good sunlight and not overlap each other too much. Coriander seeds need to be sowed half inch deep in the soil. Once you have sowed the seeds, cover them with coco peat or soil and water them. Coriander seeds start germinating somewhere between 5 – 7 days after sowing. Once they start germinating, keep them in a place that receives good amount of sunlight. They will start growing vigorously and will be ready for use in another 10 days time.

The harvesting

Coriander leaves can be harvested when the plant is at least six inches tall. Take a sharp scissor and cut the leaves and stems. It can be harvested 3 – 4 times. If you notice that your coriander plant has flowered, save the seeds for the next batch of planting or let them fall and germinate on their own. If you regularly remove the matured leaves, it will delay the plant from flowering.

Your efforts have paid off when you harvest the coriander leaves you yourself planted. Now it’s time to experience the joy and excitement of garnishing your dishes with your own home grown kothmir.

The post A step-by-step guide to growing coriander at home appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Aloe vera

One of the first medicinal plants that most of us start with is aloe vera. The fleshy leaves are packed with a gel that can be used externally to treat several skin ailments. For any kind of burn—from overexposure to sun to minor cooking burns—simply break off a leaf, run a knife up the middle of the leaf and open it out. Smear the gel on the affected area and leave it to dry. The opened out leaf can be wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge, which makes it even more cooling.

How to grow: Aloe vera can be grown in a container. You can get a plant from the nursery or propagate it by rooting an offshoot that forms near the base of the plant. This medicinal plant likes a lot of sunshine but can also thrive in partial shade. Make sure the soil is fertile and well-drained.

Basil

There are two types of Basil—Sweet Basil and Holy Basil—and both do wonders for our health. But while most of us in India do have a tulsi or Holy Basil plant in our homes, not many of us grow or use Sweet Basil. You can use the leaves of Basil plant in cooking, especially in Italian dishes, and can flavour vinegars and oils with it. Basil leaves can also be made into infusions that help with digestion and reduce fevers. If you pop a handful of leaves in the bath, it acts as a stimulant.

How to grow: Basil needs well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich soil. You can grow this herb from seed by tucking the seeds 1.4 inch deep in the soil mix. Make sure you keep a gap of 10 – 12 inches between the seeds and keep the container in a place that gets a good amount of sun.

Calendula

You can identify this plant by its bright yellow flowers that bloom in the beginning of spring. This is a versatile herb that can be used for cooking and cure. The fresh petals of the flower can be sprinkled over stir-fries, while the dried petals can be used to colour cooked rice.

The petals can also be infused with oil and used to prepare salves and ointments at home. Creams made with calendula-infused oil help to heal burns, cuts and bruises. Calendula ointment is also good for diaper rashes. A salve made with calendula can bring relief to sore muscles, while a lip balm that contains calendula-infused oil can heal dry, chapped lips. You can also make calendula hydrosol or tincture with the petals that can further be used in a misting spray to bring relief to bee stings and bug bites, and as a facial toner.

“To make a tincture, take a glass jar and fill with Calendula flowerheads. Pour alcohol [standard strength alcohol is easiest to get for most people] on top and make sure the flowerheads are all covered. Leave the flowerheads in the alcohol for 2 – 3 weeks, stirring every other day. Strain the flowerheads off and keep the remaining tincture in a dark glass bottle,” shares herbalist and educator Pamela Spence.

How to grow: Calendula can be directly sown into the ground in the fall or can be planted indoors. Very easy to maintain, this plant needs a lot of sunshine and fertile, well-drained soil. Calendula doesn’t grow well in extreme weathers such as very hot summers and freezing winters.

Coriander

Also known as cilantro or dhania in India, this is a dynamic herb packed with vitamins C and K, and small amounts of carotene, niacin, thiamine, potassium, phosphorous and calcium. Coriander is known to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, improve bowel movements and promote liver function, lower blood sugar levels in diabetics and improve the secretion of insulin. This herb works well against diseases like arthritis.

How to grow: You can grow coriander in a container or in the garden directly. Crush the seeds and tuck them into the soil in short, straight rows. Coriander grows well when it is sown in fertile soil and receives a lot of sunshine.

Celery

Here is a herb that we best associate with salads and soups, but it does more than just add flavour to food. Celery is known to reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, prevent ulcers and protect the liver. It also reduces bloating, improves digestion, and prevents urinary tract infections.

How to grow: This herb loves a lot of sun and water. Plant in an 8-inch deep container, and make sure that the potting mix is rich and fertile.

Mint

Known as pudina in India, this is an easy-to-grow herb that is soothing to the stomach. A herbal tea made with this herb can cure stomach ache and reduce irritated bowel syndrome. Crushed mint leaves can combat bad breath and mint leaves added to cool beverages help cool the body down. Mint is also known as a good blood-cleanser.

“Fresh mint leaves are best used as an infusion. Simply add to boiled water, cover and allow to steep for 5 – 10 minutes. One can drink it either hot or cold,” advises Spence, explaining that this infusion is an excellent remedy for nausea and indigestion.

How to grow: If you know anyone who grows mint, ask them to give you a few plants. These can be pulled out from pot, and can be planted 12 inches apart and two inch deep. Water the plants well. Once these take root, they grow prolifically. They grow well in shade and sun, but seem to enjoy the latter more.

Lemongrass

A herbal tea made with lemongrass is known to relieve headaches, stomach aches, menstrual cramps and muscle pain. Essential oil made from this plant is known to ward off mosquitoes. Lemongrass is also a culinary herb and used prolifically in Asian cuisine.

How to grow: This herb can grow from two to four feet tall and can be grown in containers. It grows well in warm weather and is propagated from a section of the roots. This easy-to-grow herb just needs sunshine, fertile soil and lots of water.

Thyme

Add fresh thyme to salads, stews, soups and sauces, infuse your cooking oil with it to add another layer of flavour to your food, and use home-dried thyme to potpourri to repel insects. As a medicine, a thyme infusion is known to settle the stomach; the herb can also be added to bath water to soothe raw or rough skin.

How to grow: Thyme needs hot and dry weather to grow well. You can grow it from seed in a raised bed or in a pot. Sow the seeds in fall so that they sprout in summer. Water this herb every other day when the weather is not too hot and every day, when the sun is scorching.

Armed with containers and pots, a good soil mix and this know-how, you can start growing herbs at home, and use them to enhance your health.

The post 8 health-giving herbs that you can grow at home [and how to use them] appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.