By Hillary Torres
As someone who loves plants, it took me a while to understand the importance of gardening. It wasn’t about how much I could plant or the types of flowers or herbs I could grow, but about the benefits I could gain from each living organism. When I turned 18 and moved out, I realized how vital gardening could be to everyday life. It wasn’t until then that I learned planting has many more benefits than we can imagine.
When I began learning about plants, I was more interested in the medicinal aspects they offered. The healing properties 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 incorporate gardening into my healthy lifestyle.
To speak about planting is to speak about giving life. For many, this is true, while others may not agree. To tend to a garden is to sow a seed in the soil in hopes that something will grow. We do not all naturally possess the qualities it takes to make this blessing happen, but we can all learn about planting, how to do it correctly, and the benefits it can provide.
Planting for Beginners
Planting can seem overwhelming at first, but fear not. Gardening takes just 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 skill, these are the same qualities you strive to develop. In the garden, you’ll need to work with these qualities as well.
My best suggestion for new gardeners is to do your research. When you’re learning how to grow a seedling, you must get to know your plants. This means understanding the type of plant they are, the type of soil they prefer, the amount of sunlight they need, and maybe even the pH level of the soil they grow best in. Getting to know your plants will help you grow healthy seedlings.
Other useful skills you’ll need, besides research, are organization and patience. Without an organized gardening area, you may become overwhelmed quickly. Whether you’re gardening indoors or outdoors, things can get very messy, very quickly. This is where patience comes in as well. If you learn to organize your gardening area adequately and remain patient with yourself, you’ll have a much healthier gardening experience.
To gather the right materials for gardening, start at the dollar store. They tend to have more than enough gardening tools and supplies to help you start your own little garden. You don’t want to start a huge garden right away because there’s a good chance some of your crops won’t grow. If you start small and shop small, you’re more likely to continue gardening as a beloved hobby.
Plants as Medicinals
If you’re looking to develop your skills, try herbalist courses or books. Plants are powerful medicinal resources that have been used in pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine for centuries. By learning about them, we can better understand which plants may be useful for different purposes. For example, if you have a migraine, you may have a tea that can help ease the pain. But if you find yourself with an open wound, you’ll probably need urgent medical attention.
When you’re studying plants, you should learn not only about their growth and what they like and dislike, but also about their potential benefits. By getting to know the plants you’re growing and their medicinal properties, we are more likely to truly understand the plant rather than simply memorize information about it.
There is an abundance of different books and websites that can help you learn about medicinal plants. Keep in mind that different plants can have different levels of toxicity, and there are many medicinal plants out there. We should be aware of which plants can be harmful and understand that the wrong amount of a substance can be dangerous.
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 can guide you through making 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 qualities of certain plants that you like, but also about the other ways they can benefit your life. You may not need plants to help you with a migraine or lower a fever, but you may want plants that can help purify the air or simply work well for aromatherapy.
By understanding how much patience it takes to grow healthy seedlings, you’ll ultimately be bettering your life. One of the most positive outcomes of being a gardener is not just the medicinal benefits that plants can offer us, but also the qualities we’ve been trying to develop for quite some time.
Let’s keep in mind that plants don’t just offer us medicinal value or character traits to learn from. They can also provide a home environment that is clean and beautiful. Plants can ease stress and may also provide you with a sense of calm and happiness when you’re struggling emotionally. They are exceptionally good at keeping us on our toes when it comes to keeping our minds busy and our hearts open to caring for something.
Gardening is more than simply putting a seed into the ground. It’s about patience, consistency, learning, and nurturing something from the very beginning. And sometimes, the lessons we learn while caring for our plants are the same lessons we need to care for ourselves.
