By Hillary Torres
As someone who loves plants, it came very late to me the importance of gardening. It wasn’t about how much I could plant or the type of flowers or herbs I planted, but about the benefits that I could obtain from each living organism. When I turned 18 and moved out, I realized how vital gardening was to live. It wasn’t until then that I learned that planting has many more benefits than we can imagine.
When I began learning about plants I was more so interested in the medicinal aspects that they offered. The healing tendencies of plants are what attracted me to gardening. I thank my grandmother, who has always used herbs to bless her food, her home, and her life, for introducing me to plant life. Throughout my wellness journey, I’ve been able to use gardening as part of my healthy lifestyle.
To speak about planting is to speak about giving life. For many this is true and some won’t agree, but to tend to a garden is to sew a seed in the soil in hopes something will grow. We do not all carry the qualities it takes to make this blessing happen. But we can all surely learn about planting and how to do so correctly alongside what benefits they provide.
Planting for beginners
Planting can seem overwhelming at first, but fear not, because planting just takes a few good qualities to master. For example to be a good gardener you have to be patient, dedicated, and organized. When you’re trying to learn a new trade these are the same qualities you strive to keep under your belt. In the garden, you’ll need to work with these as well.
My best suggestion for new gardeners is to do your research. When you’re learning to grow when your seedling, you must get to know them. This means understanding the type of plant they are, the type of soil they like, the amount of sun they need, and maybe even the pH level of the soil they like. Getting to know your plant aids in your ability to grow seedlings correctly.
Other useful skills that you would need other than research are organization and patience. Without having an organized garden section, you may become overwhelmed quickly. When gardening indoors or out, things can get very messy very quickly. This is where patience comes in as well. If you learn to organize your garden section adequately and remain patient with yourself, you’ll have a healthier gardening experience.
To gather the right materials to garden, start at the dollar stores. They tend to have more than enough gardening utensils to help you start your tiny garden. You don’t wanna start a huge garden right away because there is a likely chance some of your crops won’t grow. If you start small and shop small, you’re more than likely to continue planting as an adored hobby.
Plants as medicinals
If You’re looking to develop your skills, try herbalist courses or books. Plants are powerful medicinals that are used in pharmaceuticals today. By learning about them, we can differentiate what works best for which particular illness. For example, if you have a migraine you may have some tea that will ease with the pain. But if you find yourself with an open wound, You’ll probably need some urgent care attention.
When you’re studying plants not only should you know about their growth, what they like and dislike, but also their benefits to you. In getting to know the plants you are growing and they’re medicinal, we are more likely to learn about the plant versus memorize the plant.
There is an abundance of different books and websites that help you learn about medicinal plants. Keep in mind that there are a lot of different doses of plants and there are a lot of different medicinal plants out there. We should be aware of what dose is deadly and what dose is appropriate.
Once you’ve gathered enough information, you’ll probably want to put what you’ve learned to use. You can do this by learning how to make salves, herbal teas, or scrubs. There are even websites that will guide you through making your essential oils or tinctures. It’s not as hard as it may seem and it sure as hell is worth it.
Plants and their benefits
Over time you’ll learn not only about the medicinal quality of certain plants that you like but also how beneficial they become to you. You may not need plants to help you with a migraine or to lower a fever but you may need plants who can help purify the air or simply work best for aromatherapy.
By understanding how much patience and what it takes to grow healthy seedlings, you’ll ultimately be bettering your life. The most positive outcomes of being a gardener is not just the benefits that plants offer us medicinally but those qualities we’ve been trying to achieve for quite some time.
Let’s keep in mind the plants don’t just offer us medicinal value or character traits to learn but they also provide a home environment that is clean and beautiful. Plants can ease stress and can I also provide you with happy thoughts if you’re suffering from some type of depression. They are exceptionally excellent at keeping us on our toes when it comes to keeping our minds busy and our hearts open to care.