Gardening to combat anxiety or depression

[Kkimm]

Gardening and encouraging wildlife can be a really good way to relieve anxiety and depression.

It would be great to hear from anyone throughout the world who loves gardening or just gardens to hear what they grow in their garden and what wildlife they have spotted there. Putting a photo on would be really cool also.

It is a great way to support the environment as well.

Kim

[Mongea]

Hi Kim- I agree, 100%! I have immersed myself into my flower and vegetable gardens this summer. I find it very therapeutic to weed, plant and tend my gardens. Hope this note finds you well! 😊

[Kkimm in reply to Mongea]

Hi Mongea

Great to hear from you, how are you doing?

I am fine still.

At the present time I am harvesting broad beans, asparagus, globe artichokes, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries and lots of black currants.

What country are you in and what are you growing or harvesting at the moment, it would be great to hear about it?

We get blackbirds, gold finches, bluetits, great tits, long tail tits and pied wagtails in our garden and mallard and moorhens on our big wildlife pond. Goldfinches are very pretty with a red, black and white striped head and gold wing bars. They are called the Clown 🤡 bird!

Very best wishes

Kim

[Mongea in reply to Kkimm]

Good morning!

I’m in the United States. We live in a small town called New Ulm in the state of MN. This summer I’m growing tomatoes, tomatillos, green peppers, green beans and jalapeños. We also get goldfinches here as well as cardinals (which are my favorite bird).

I’m doing great. I would say I’m pretty stable at the moment, even though I still struggle with breakthrough anxiety and feelings of spaciness. Presently, I feel capable of handling it with the skills I have and therapy. It’s definitely a journey!

[Kkimm in reply to Mongea]

Hi

What a lovely reply. I am so pleased you are doing so well. Are you still on Zoloft?

So interesting to hear about your wildlife, what colour are your gold finches and what are Cardinals like?

Kim

[Mongea in reply to Kkimm]

I’m still taking 125 mg/day, but I’m slowly weaning off. I’m very thankful for the things it’s done for me but I don’t feel like myself on it. I’ve also dealt with some memory issues and lack of libido. They’re side effects I’m just not willing to deal with long term.

Our goldfinches are yellow and black, the male cardinal is a bright red bird. My favorite!

[Joanne1972]

I love my garden, all my plants are flowering perenials and I've got enough that there is always something in flower to make me smile throughout the year. I also feed the birds, squirrels and the hedgehogs that visit

seeing natures beauty everyday keeps me going.

Right at this moment I've got 6 birds having a bath in my makeshift pond making me smile

[Kkimm in reply to Joanne1972]

Lovely, thanks for sharing.

[PeaPuddling]

Hi Kkimm,

I have only recently in the last year or so gotten into gardening. I love seeing the bulbs/seeds grow into their own beauty, quite often i will take some time alone outside in the garden and just take it all in. Even better when the sun is shining although i do quite enjoy sitting in the rain too!

I'm in the West Midlands, England and currently have strawberries, a few varieties of potato and some spring onions growing! Tried radishes from early to late spring and they were delicious

As for wildlife, we don't see much as I've got two rather cheeky cats that like to chase everything that comes onto 'their turf' - but watching them chase after butterflies that are flying far too high for them gives a good laugh!

[Kkimm in reply to PeaPuddling]

Sounds great, good gardening!

[Kkimm in reply to PeaPuddling]

Thanks for your lovely reply.

Good gardening

Kim

[sue-1]

Hi Kim, I love gardening too! Here in Georgia, America in the summer right now where it is hot and humid I grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers....quite yummy! I also have a small herb garden of Thyme, Parsley,Oregano, Rosemary and lavender....love the smell of lavender!

Nice photo of a bee eating pollen and nectar from the flower, Kim! It is so important to encourage bees to our gardens as they are declining in numbers.

[Kkimm in reply to sue-1]

Thanks for your lovely reply.

Glad you like the photo

[NeuronerdDoaty]

I can’t do this due to hives so please feel free to share pictures with me. I used to help my grandmother with 20+ acres. It was beautiful. Now I have hives and angioedema but pictures soothe my soul.

[Kkimm]

Sorry to hear that.

What did your grandmother grow on her 20 acres?

I seem to only be able to post some of my pictures and only from my smartphone not camera but will see what I can find and post now and then. Might be worth following me and I will reciprocate as you will probably not see them otherwise.

Kim