Why do I garden? Let me count the reasons...

By Steve Carter, Mental Health Promoter, Mental Health Foundation

We love gardening at the Mental Health Foundation. Even those without green thumbs can comprehend the value in a hands-on connection with our own little piece of nature.  

Last year we sold Go Potty seedlings as a fundraiser and we also supported the TV show Get Growing with NZ Gardener.  We support community gardening, gardens in schools, vege growing and all the associated spin-offs including farmers’ markets and food barter systems. Gardening is fun, healthy and, let’s face it, pretty zeitgeisty in these transition times. 

Why? 

Well, I’ll tell you what it means for me and I’ll use the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework (more info here) to describe it. 

Let me put my cards on the table (or onto the garden furniture):  I love my garden.  In fact, outside of music, gardening is possibly the single thing I would rather be doing above all else. I work on organic and no-dig principles, so it’s barely an effort, it costs very little and the returns are many-fold.   

Stuff just grows. Abundantly.  Indeed, you might say my garden is flourishing. 

So, five ways to a flourishing garden? 

CONNECT

It might be true that I spend a lot of my time alone in my own garden, but gardening implies community. Exchanges of ideas and advice, working bees, harvest parties and other nature-cycle celebrations – I might have only two green thumbs myself, but I am surrounded by a community of people who love to get their hands dirty and reap the rewards of a relationship with nature, with themselves and, most importantly, with others.   

All this before you even think to venture out to the local community garden, or the farmers’ market, or the edible gardening group (yes, we have such a thing in Brighton).  

Guerrilla gardeners, urban foragers – there’s a whole network out there if you choose to connect to it.  And, hey, gardeners here in Otautahi have even been ‘Greening the Rubble’, bringing colour and life to otherwise crumbling earthquake-stricken gaps in the community. 

KEEP LEARNING

Refining your skills as a gardener is a constant and ongoing process.  New techniques, new ideas, different perspectives all contribute to better and better seasons. For example, have you ever wondered why you seem to spend so much time weeding?  It’s almost as if the weeds want to be there, again and again drawing you into a battle for supremacy.   

But grab a book on organic gardening and you might find that they offer more benefit than harm. Taproots draw nutrients from deep within the ground, so leave the dock; nettles make a fine tonic used as tea and contain more iron than spinach; chickweed is one of the best compost activators your garden will grow for you.   

There are so many things to learn, it’s a lifetime’s journey.  What is mulch and how should I use it?  How do I make compost? Could I maximise my water usage from house to garden or even from the sky?  How can I give nature a helping hand? 

BE ACTIVE

Now this one is something of a no-brainer, even for a lazy, no-dig gardener like me.  Sure, I don’t spend heaps of time breaking my back breaking ground any more – and to a lot of people that’s the essence of gardening: mammoth, boring effort and drudgery. It needn’t be.  

But I’m always moving stuff around. I can walk miles just ambling around my garden (see TAKE NOTICE below), shifting mulch and compost, building raised beds, erecting a new chicken run.  And, rather than hosepipe fresh Canterbury artesian water on the garden, I have a complex rainwater collection system, an outside bath and a watering can and buckets. Lord knows how far I walk and how much weight the train of buckets and watering cans add up to, but I can tell you an hour watering the garden is as good a workout as you can get. Not to mention heading to the beach to collect driftwood and seaweed to bolster the resources of my patch. 

It’s an active, outdoor lifestyle with a healthy eating payoff at the end of it.  The bath under the stars is a pretty cool wind-down too. 

GIVE

Like I say, stuff just grows in my garden. Right now, lemons are literally throwing themselves off the tree faster than I can make marmalade, cordial or preserve them in salt and spices. Last year I had so much parsley I thought I might suffocate under the onslaught, and this year the patch has doubled in size.  My broccolini and spinach have become triffid-like to the point where I get tired of eating them. But “waste not, want not” right? 

The answer? Give it away.  Who doesn’t love free, fresh, organic veges and fruit? 

Not just that. I now save seeds from my best crops and they are yours if you want them. You want some advice on how to plan for a thriving garden?  I’m happy to give you as many tips as you need. It feels so good to share. 

TAKE NOTICE

It has been pointed out to me that I can spend hours in my garden doing nothing, but in truth I’m rarely doing nothing. What I enjoy most is a very conscious presence in the natural environment I have helped to flourish around me.   

I am fascinated by the life teeming just beneath the surface of my soil. I love to watch the bees buzzing around my flowers, doing their pollinating work for me. Is that a new patch of silverbeet that has established itself in a hitherto bare patch of ground? Is that little family of coriander emerging from the ground once more, ready to burst into tasty life? Is it time to feed my berries and fruit trees so that the tiny buds can explode into flower for a new season’s yield?   

The birds are singing, winter is cycling into spring and what seemed lifeless and still is flushing into the hope of life and colour. Nature is a dynamic, endless process of change and it is a wonderful thing to engage fully with a very mindful appreciation of its diversity and energy. 

So, that’s why I garden. What other activity can you think of that offers such an array of benefits to mind, body and spirit? You get to work at it, develop new skills and refine the ones you have. You get to share it with others and build a community of like-minded people around you. You even get to appreciate the days when the rain comes. And best of all, you will relish all the many returns for your (not very hard) labours. 

You don’t have to hug any trees or talk to the flowers (but you can if you want to).  

Be good to your garden and it will be good to you.  

Maintaining your wellbeing after the earthquake

CONNECT

Now more than ever is the time to stay in touch with the people around you: family, whanau, friends, loved ones, neighbours.  Everyone will have their own way of dealing with a crisis, and some will be experiencing grief.  Talk, and listen.  It doesn’t have to be about the disaster, although that may be all that’s on your mind.  If you don’t feel able to talk, just being around people can be enough to help you stay connected – it does make a difference.  Let the people in your life know that you’re there, even if it’s just your presence.

Pay particular attention to older people, children, people with physical impairments or disabilities and those who may be isolated; people who may have difficulty getting a clear idea of what’s happening around them – it’s incredibly important that we all stick together and feel connected.

GIVE

In the face of disaster and tragedy, a simple word like “give” might seem overwhelming.  You may have lost people, treasures, and memories that are close to you.  Focusing on the needs of others by giving your time, your words, your thoughts and your presence, may help you put your own losses to one side at least temporarily. 

Give time and your help to others around you in the same boat, as much as you are able to, but don’t forget to include yourself and your own needs.  We all have different skills and strengths – some of us are good with our hands, others are good listeners and great support people.  

TAKE NOTICE

In the face of destruction, it may feel like you want to close your eyes and hide rather than take notice of anything. 

But in the words of Skylight’s Tricia Hendry, who lost her husband to suicide, “I had to seek good moments in the middle of the horror.  Giving someone a hug, or doing something with my children that was special.  I knew that life had to be more than tragedy, and I had to do more than just survive.”

LEARN

Getting our city back on its feet again is going to mean working together, and there’s no better time than now to reach out and learn something new you can do to help that you’ve never done before.  There can never be enough volunteers, and the challenge of achieving something – no matter how small – helps to maintain hope.

 

BE ACTIVE

We’re living on shaky ground - literally.  Some areas are unsafe.  But trying to keep physically active is an important part of staying well, keeping your mind active, and staving off the blues that come naturally in the face of overwhelming events like this.  If it’s safe where you are, go for short walks or runs if that’s part of your normal exercise routine.  Even if you’re not able to move far from where you are, there are a range of on-the-spot exercises you can do to help keep your strength and fitness up.  Originally designed for use in classrooms, its application can be much wider.

Theatre challenge 10 out of 10!

The inaugural RETHiNK Theatre Challenge over the 2010 Mental Health Awareness Weekend was an incredible  success. Every performance was SOLD OUT, and around 400- 500 people re-thought their ideas, prejudices, and attitudes towards mental “illness”

The event had a fortuitous coincidence in that the 10, 10 minute plays were performed on Mental Health Awareness Day – the 10th day of the 10th Month, 2010!

Over 60 volunteer cast and crew work-shopped performances in fewer than 24 hours to pull together an incredible show of 10, 10-minute plays all aimed at destigmatising mental distress.

The four performances were given over two venues and finished with a standing-room-only gala performance at Auckland’s premier Comedy Club “The Classic”. Comedian Rob Callaghan was the master of ceremonies and he supported by some of New Zealand’s funniest, including last year’s RETHiNK Grant winner, Chris Brain, Irene Pink, Rhys Mathewson and The Improv Bandits.

Taimi Allan, who leads Mind and Body’s Like Minds, Like Mine team, says:

 “Without a doubt, this was the most exciting project I have ever been a part of. It mixed my two passions in life; performance and the promotion of mental health, and furthermore I believe it sets the benchmark for projects that seek radical social change.”

Taimi, who directed one of the plays and acted in another, helped Adam Fresco from Dramatrain and Titirangi Theatre coordinate the event by securing media attention, a documentary crew, celebrity guests, administration support, Like Minds ‘Stigma Advisors’ and promotional help.

The Titirangi Theatre and the extended Like Minds and Mental Health networks collaborated with talented amateur and professional volunteers from all over the globe who shared a passion to make a positive change.

Adam Fresco, volunteered hundreds of hours of his personal time for the cause. He says:

 “This project aimed to directly challenge taboos, myths and fictions surrounding ‘mental illness’ in an accessible, entertaining and thought-provoking manner. The beautiful thing about using theatre is that we could increase understanding, dispel misconceptions and encourage community engagement under the guise of family entertainment and have lots of fun in the process!”

Writers, actors, directors and crew came from all over the world to be a part of this event and included both the famous (Bob Baker of Dr Who, K9 and Wallace and Grommet Fame) and the unknown.

One of America’s most eminent psycho-drama specialists Dr Dan Tomasulo even flew in from New York just to attend the performance of his work Sticks and Stones.

Many of the  writers, cast and crew involved in the production had personal experience of ‘madness’ and the audience was asked if they could tell who the ‘normal’ ones were.

Over two hours, the audience was taken on an emotional rollercoaster and left feeling not only moved and inspired, but significantly changed.

One audience member wrote;

“Last night shocked me. People were on stage recounting the Looney experiences I have had and instead of being deeply ashamed like me they were laughing at them. I found it disturbing, provocative and comforting all at the same time. I find myself feeling compassion for those who are afflicted like me and disturbed by my own deep prejudices against people just like me. To finish I guess I want to thank you for the work you do around improving the quality of life for people with mental health issues. Until last night I thought the only way it was being done was to make TV ads asking for more understanding. My own ignorance is embarrassing. Keep up the good work. It’s making a difference.”

If you would like us to make the event bigger and better for next year, or even tour it to a town near you, please fill out our short feedback survey so that we can look getting sponsors onboard so we can repeat it next year.


Stay tuned to www.rethinkgrant.co.nz  for photos, comments, videos, media articles and the results of our feedback survey.

Ehara taku manu te mana takitahi engari takitui.


The team from Mind and Body Consultants Ltd - Guest bloggers

World Cup a win for wellbeing

While many Kiwis may feel disappointed that New Zealand’s World Cup run is over, it seems like their participation has been good for our mental health.

According to recent reports in the US media, researchers have shown that fans who feel personally invested in a team, particularly those who cheer along with like-minded fans, receive mental health benefits from the feeling of social connectedness. This sharing of a common allegiance with others creates a strong bond, can lead to new friendships and a sense of belonging.

This positive effect comes as no surprise to the Foundation as “Connect” is one of our Winning Ways to Wellbeing.

Reflected glory
Additionally, when a team performs well – after all the All Whites exited the World Cup undefeated and applauded by international media – fans feel good about themselves through a kind of reflected glory, further boosting wellbeing.

Even when a result is disappointing, many people take a kind of pride in remaining a fan through the bad or mediocre times so that they can speak of their loyalty to their team and feel an even greater sense of accomplishment when they do well.

New interest
For many New Zealanders the World Cup has also sparked a new interest, or encouraged an existing one, in football and a new pastime can also aid feeling good.

Of course, there are those who may argue they are glad New Zealand is no longer in the competition as they took no interest in the first place and are finding it harder to connect with a partner, friend or family member who is swept up by World Cup fever. Some may be happier when the whole event is finished so their sleep patterns return to normal and they can be better rested.

Overall though, the World Cup scores highly in raising spirits.

Carrie Briffett, Communications Officer, Mental Health Foundation