NECESSARY INGREDIENTS

For a healthy garden, whether vegetable or floral, we need nutrient-rich soil, proper preparation of that soil, adequate sunlight for photosynthesis, water in regular amounts sufficient for strong root development and good drainage.  We need a nice allotment of insects and bees to help pollinate and eat harmful bacteria and pests. And we need regular maintenance in the form of fertilizing, deadheading, weeding, cleaning out leaves and debris, staking tall plants and trailing vines, turning and aerating the soil, so it won’t compact and become hard and deter proper root growth, and mulching for protection and moisture retention. The human body requires all those same ingredients to be healthy and robust. 

I remember as a child I used to think that you simply put a plant in the ground and it grew to its potential without any additional attention. At the time, I didn’t recognize that
 we have the opportunity and ability to shape, nourish, and train those plants to bring out their utmost beauty and health. I always wondered why the neighbor’s plants were so lush and beautiful while mine were spindly, and had only a few small blossoms. A seasoned gardener would never think of just sticking a plant in the ground and letting nature take its course—taking the approach that “whatever happens – happens”.  Why do we accept that philosophy with our physical bodies? We have to intervene if we want to shape our physical health the way we shape our gardens. My favorite saying is, "If your lifestyle doesn't control your body, eventually your body will control your lifestyle. The choice is yours."

 Since I am not a nutritionist, nor a doctor, it is not within my scope of practice to prescribe a precise nutritional intake for the human body. It is not my intention to offer medical advice here.  I simply want to present you with a new paradigm for looking at the way you treat your inner landscape and the results you are likely to achieve from your choices.

 Nor is it my intention to teach you how to garden. I’ll leave that to the Pros. Master Gardeners and Horticulturists abound; Bodies are my business and that’s where I’ll confine my focus.  My intention is simply to explore with you a comparison of the elements of your garden  that you know so well, with the physiology of your body so that you will recognize the ways in which you have control to protect against injury and discomfort.

 For some of you the new perspective might be that food is actually fuel (fertilizer) and not simply a social event or a security blanket. And for others, that you can manipulate your internal environment to determine  not only your muscle strength and endurance, but your joint health and your overall well being. You can change your body in the same way your can manipulate the soil in your garden to determine the quality and characteristics of your plants.

Once we’re in the swing of thinking about nurturing our bodies with the same kind of empowerment we exert over our yards, we’ll get into biomechanics; specifically, what causes pain and how to prevent it while you’re working to improve your landscape. You already know having Good Bones in your garden is a must for year round beauty and interest. Good Bones in gardening terminology simply means good basic structure and in this case parallels an efficient postural alignment in the human. By learning how to position your body during the necessary activities of planting, weeding, mulching and pruning, you’ll be much less likely to injure yourself and won’t feel so lousy after doing something you love to do.

The winter garden is where we see the true bones of the bed, when it's stripped of all the greenery and fluff. An excellent time to evaluate and assess the condition of the structure. So let's start there next time.