Emotional and spiritual benefits to (fruit and veg) growing

[Anja]

Hello,

Some of you may have seen and responded to an earlier post of mine where I asked what motivated people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. I had some really interesting responses to that and thought I’d ask a few follow up questions on some of the themes that were emerging from people’s answers.

A number of people said that growing their own was somehow emotionally and/or spiritually satisfying, perhaps even some kind of therapy. I find this really interesting. Actually I find the same myself but what intrigues me is why this is. So here are some further questions on this topic:

1. Are there any mental / emotional / spiritual benefits to gardening in general, and fruit and vegetable gardening in particular?
2. If so, what are these benefits and how do we experience them?
3. Why does one get something emotional or spiritual out of (fruit and veg) gardening?

I look forward to reading your thoughts on these.

Anja

P.S. For those who might not have read my earlier post, I’m asking these questions because I’m genuinely curious about them and trying to understand my own reasons for doing it a bit better. But I’m also doing it as part of a little academic research project, which I am eventually hoping to write up for publication in an academic journal (and perhaps also a gardening magazine or blog). This means I am intending to use your thoughts as material for my research, but I will, of course, not mention names (even forum names) or any other personal information, and I won’t even state from what forum the answers come. I do not stand to make any money out of this (chance would be a fine thing but it doesn’t happen with this kind of research).

[Nature's Babe]

It helps me feel less dependent and more independent providing for myself and others, its honest work that is very productive, and you can't cheat on nature
In the complexity,the interconnectedness, and dovetailing of species, the miracle of growth from a tiny seed, the beauty and the bounty of nature, the changing seasons, that aid growth, I get a sense of the purpose intelligence and love behind creation and a really deep sense of gratitude.
We are seed, I see us as a natural part of the whole of nature, we fit it like a glove, it relaxes us.

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the bird for mirth
One is nearer to God in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

[glallotments]

It is a widely held theory that gardening is good for mental health but I'm not really expert enough to explain why or how this is.

One way in which gardening is emotionally beneficial to me is in that I become absorbed in the task that I am doing. In many ways this is very relaxing mentally as any work or personal problem tend to be pushed aside.

There is some level of creative satisfaction in that the grower is involved in the whole process from seed to plate giving a sense of achievement.

The environment in the garden or on the plot also brings the gardener into contact with the natural world and offers lots of reasons to explore this more, it also creates lots of problem solving opportunities - it's a case of never completing the learning curve so is intellectually challenging.

[pongeroon]

I find the process of storing things up for the winter very therapeutic. Filling up the cupboard with jars of jam, filling the freezer, even filling the woodshed, all gives me a sense of security, I suppose, and satisfaction.

I wonder if it is the same ancient feeling of security one gets while sitting round a communal bonfire, even if you don't actually know the other people, maybe a tribal sort of thing. My Fine Young Man feels the same.

[JohnN]

Hi Anja
Many years ago in the car industry Volvo discovered that allowing each employee a decision-making process and giving them a specific responsibilty for the quality of the finished car, raised both the quality of the car and also the enthusiasm and happiness of the worker.
Gardening must be the perfect agricultural corollary of this – deciding what “product” to grow, how to grow it, nurturing it throughout its life, harvesting, and finally turning it into enjoyable food for one’s family and friends.
On top of this one has the comforting feeling of “looking forward”, throughout the year and into the following year – very important in the human conciousness, especially for us older folk, who perhaps tend to dwell too much on the past.
I don’t get the spiritual boost that Nature’s Babe gets (I’m an atheist) but I get tremendous pleasure growing veg, which I often cook and put on the table for guests. If I can complement the veg. with a trout which I have caught myself – life is pretty good!
John N.

[Anja]

Hi all,

thank you very much for your thoughts. It seems to me that there are quite a few different feelings involved in our veg gardening and they all build up to a joint picture, a bit different for everyone.

I'm now going to ponder your responses a bit and probably post some more thoughts and questions after that. In the meantime, any further thoughts from all of you will be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,

Anja

[Primrose]

Over a long period of time I've found gardening (and particularly fruit and vegetable growing) of benefit to my emotional health.

People seek out different kinds of solace in stressful situations. I need the space of being alone in the open air, and not being creative in other artistic ways, I find that being able to grow vegetables from tiny seeds is a creative and nurturing process that causes me to look outward in positive anticipation rather inwardly in a negative way. There is always something to look forward to and plenty of opportunity for reflection and the space to think one's way through difficult situations.

I've also retreated into the garden after times of bereavement, finding it emotionally supportive to reflect on the natural cycle of life and death. Somehow, when one lives in the garden through autumn and winter, human death seems more naturally to fit into the cycle.

And I love the feeling that being self-sufficient in food gives, even if it's only on a small scale. As we live increasingly in a global economy where we're all inter-dependent on other people and nations for food, finance, and economic well being, I enjoy the small bit of self-control and independence this gives me, especially when I see a full freezer and lots of home-made preserves lined up on the shelf.

[Geoff]

Nice reply, Primrose.
This can work in strange ways. We are all gardeners in our family so when my niece was young and her grandma on the other side of the family died and was buried one Autumn she wanted to know if she would come up in the Spring.

[Mike Vogel]

The feeling of well-being, especially afetr a good day's digging.
The sense of achievemnet when you put into practice recommendations from books or friends and they work, though you yourself know nothing.
The pleasure of being able to pass on the benefit of your experiences.
The fascination of belonging to and contributing to a forum like this.
The excitement of seeing your preparation of soil or seedling come to fruition.
The addition it all makes to the bonding among the family, especially when your OH tells you how wonderful you are growing the stuff!!
The knowledge that you are contributing to people's general wellbeing by adding to the food resources in the world.
The pleasure of giving away veg or jams etc to friends and neighbours, thus consolidating relationships.

it's half past midnight and I'd better post before my OHG cshuts down the broadband downstairs!