Going Green
As cliché as it may seem, women have been associated with knitting, doing household chores, and yes, gardening. In movies, they’ve portrayed women tending their gardens, watering their plants, and taking out the weeds. Some even take great lengths to make them grow healthy and super green, by talking to them and making them listen to Mozart or Tchaikovsky.
In reality, women (as well as men) still go for gardening. Not just to spruce up the lawn, but also to relieve stress. Yes, you can read that again! Gardening can help relieve that unwanted stress. If you’re itching to find out how, one woman who has loved plants and have loved her in return tells the tale.
The not-so green thumb
Mrs. Terry Tam bunting, has loved plants since she was young, but was quite uncertain if she had a green thumb. However, she recounts that all of the plants that she planted while she was very young, did not just wither and die. She says she’s doesn’t have a green thumb, but laughingly says that she could. Maybe because, “Plants love me,” she says.
Her love for plants did not just end with her tending to her own garden at home. Thirty years ago, she and a good friend, put up their rent-a-plant business which provided plants in offices. Their company also provides landscaping jobs. This very successful company is called Plantas Berdes.
When Mrs. Tambunting’s business partner was still active, she says that they were able to handle around 20 contracts. But today, being the only one keeping the business alive, she says she could only manage half of what they used to accommodate.
Despite having had to give up a number of clients, she still has her hands tied. In a day, she has to check with her managers and call the people in the field for updates on their deliveries. She makes sure that the plants, which are out in the offices, are being maintained regularly.
Planting for relieving stress When she’s stressed out from her business and just wants to put her feet up, she turns to that activity that makes her happy. And yes, it is making her garden more beautiful than ever before. For Mrs. Tambunting, it is 100% stress relief, and would strongly recommend it to other women.
Although she admits that she hasn’t really been planting these days, she makes up for it by arranging flowers and plants inside her house. She has a gardener who comes in once a week to help her pull out the weeds and cut overgrown plants. She says she supervises her gardener because she wants her garden to look orderly. “I don’t want a chop suey garden,” she remarks.
She says that another wonderful thing about tending to her garden is that she can see the growth of wild, mixed breeds of plants. “It’s nice to see that there’s an unheard-of plant growing in your garden,” she shares. As an avid fan of greens, Mrs. Tambunting says that she appreciates seeing trees swaying with the wind, and the colorful flowers in lawns and parks. “When you see green trees, beautiful flowers, and butterflies, parang walang problema ang mundo,” she says with a smile.
Experts recommend it, too! According to an article written by Elizabeth Scott, MS, gardening is proven stress relief. Scott gives three factors that contribute to this: sunlight, nature, and creating beauty. She says that getting out in the sunlight, every now and then, can help improve one’s moods. Sunlight gives out Vitamin D, which is needed by the body. In addition, going outdoors to work in your garden can give you fresh air that can help the body relax.
Communing with nature is an often forgotten factor to stress relief. Scott says that people nowadays spend more time indoors, especially those who go to work, which contributes highly to stress. These people are the ones who have less time going outdoors. And so, they can take gardening as something they can do to reconnect with nature.
Seeing your own creation in your garden is the best stress relief ever. Scott says that you can use this bit of space as a meditation, contemplation, and relaxation area. She adds that you can bring a piece of nature right to your home via your own garden. Another article suggests that those who grow their own gardens could also use these to grow their own food, like vegetables, and flowers. Although it takes time and a lot of effort, when you see the results, you can feel a sense of pride in actually growing them yourself.
Lastly, you can also take gardening as a form of exercise. It’s not a full-body workout but the bending and the carrying and transferring of plants can help you break a sweat. Remember to stretch before starting to avoid feeling sore, and to always keep hydrated.
Advice from the plant expert
For those who would want to start their own garden, here are some tips from the plant expert. Mrs. Tambunting says having your own garden can be much cheaper than always buying flowers and plants from stores. You need not worry about the cost of landscaping and other services if you have your own garden. “If you have to hire somebody to do your landscaping they will charge you a lot. If you have your own then it can be cheaper,” she says.
She also says that if you are still uncertain about your gardening skills, make sure you start with plants that are easy to grow. “First things first, start with easy plants. Don’t start with expensive plants,” she shares. For the easy plants she recommends the Water Plant, which also has certain breeds. She says it’s easy because you can just cut and plant it, and it’s very easy to maintain. Another plant which is suited for beginners is Espada or the Spear Plant.
Mrs. Tambunting says that anyone could start their very own garden. With just a bit of patience and tender loving care (it may include talking to the plants or entertaining them with music), you’re sure to reach your goal of seeing them bloom. Maybe this could jumpstart your therapy in relieving that unwanted stress.
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