Introduction
The benefits of gardening – I was motivated to write this because American Dr Robert Malone wrote about his professional political work but also about his garden, saying how important it was for his mental health.
My testimony
I have gardened as long as I can remember. From the Age of 7 until the age of 16 I lived at the vicarage adjacent to St Andrews Church, Guildersfield Road, Streatham Common, London. The church verger was a keen gardener, Percy was his name and he encouraged me to grow my own vegetables so basically I have him to thank.
From the age of 14 I rented an allotment at Pollard’s Hill, Norbury, London and remember that it was hard work because the south facing aspect soil consisted mainly of clay so it got baked during the summer and almost impossible to dig.
I remember how fascinated I was with another allotment tenant who had a goiter but also an impediment that calls him to gulp loudly and this could be heard across the whole allotment. I watched him from a distance and never engaged with him for some reason
For the best part of 50 years I have done garden work for other people, paid work, mostly in London, where the distances you have to travel are further and the pressure is greater. I experienced an enormous variety of clients and gardens. I employed up to three people depending on the type of job. Many people were cash rich and time poor so earning a decent living was not difficult.
Increasingly difficult parking
At the time, early 2000’s, parking presented a problem but now it will be almost impossible and for this reason I would not like to continue working in London and indeed the same applies to Bristol and Bath. It kept me fit and healthy and I learned not to take on jobs that are too ambitious because I wanted to think I could do them.
I also learned that if a job starts badly it goes on being bad so I tend to walk away from people whose chemistry did not mix with mine, let’s put it that way. I am over 80 now as you may be aware and apart from stiff hips on arising in the morning my health is not bad at all but I noticed on some occasions I’m a bit wobbly when climbing and also working on slopes so I tend to avoid such things.
I’m still capable of operating a chainsaw and other heavy equipment but I find that I cannot work a seven hour day and prefer to work for a maximum of four hours. Why work when you are not enjoying it?
As for my own activity, I do enjoy pottering around in my garden though it must be said that Francoise does most of the work. I like mowing and recently bought a second hand 100cc mower which was half the weight of my previous Briggs and Stratton 150 CC motor and it’s much easier to get in and out of the car.
I can’t remember the names of plants, never mind Latin names, to save my life but I do have an eye for what sits with what and how much a hedge or tree should be pruned. I love jet washing concrete.
I enjoy open garden days in such places as Wells as Frome because I am very nosey and love to see how other people lay out their gardens. I like it even more when people provide cakes and cups of tea and I’m happy to contribute.
I reckon the world will be a saner place if everyone had a garden or an allotment.
Here is an excerpt from the article by Robert Malone that I was referring to above. See how this man balances his professional life with his garden activity.. The full article is here.
“Numerous studies support the notion that regular gardening is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and age-related memory loss. Gardeners have greater lifetime improvement in mental abilities, including memory, problem-solving, and word fluency, compared to non-gardeners. They also live longer.
This is true not only for people who have farmettes (small farms) but also for those who utilize community plots and smaller parcels of land.
Gardening is classified as a moderate exercise, which means more time can be spent outside and less time on a sweaty machine or mat at the gym or in the house.
I have included references at the back of this Substack if anyone doubts these assertions.
For me, all I know is that when I’m unable to garden and be outside, my digestive system backs up, I don’t think as clearly, and I find life just isn’t as interesting.
Despite being away, our garden has been thriving. Virginia has had a run of wet, cooler weather, and the plants are happy. Dumb luck this month – in terms of the weather”
