There is nothing new under the sun ~ 20 years ago, I took Dr. Andrew Weil’s advice and put myself, and my family, on a restricted ‘news diet’ to lessen the anxiety and tension of whatever was considered ‘bad news’ back then.  Listening to what passes for ‘the news’ can easily send one into a downward spiral! How much not so good news can one take before depression sets in? I have found that taking news in small doses once or twice a week is about all I need and all I can stand to hear. And, I’m pretty picky about who I let give me that news ~ the less biased the better.

I’m a critical thinker, and please do me the favor of NOT EDITORIALIZING – ‘just the facts’. I’m old enough to remember when the news came in to our house, for about 30 minutes each weekday evening, and we considered ourselves well informed.  I’m convinced that too much of a bad thing is bad … it can really warp your thinking and distort reality.  Yes, there are a lot of bad things out there, but you know what, there are a lot of good things too.  And, we have weathered a lot of tough times over our history (which goes back a very long time) and we are still here and kicking!

So, how does one navigate these tough times with an upbeat attitude?

There seems to be only one solution; the same one we here at The Growers Exchange have been prescribing for years. Gardening once again comes up as an individual’s best chance for serenity in our angst filled society. Gardens provide sanctuary from the real world; quiet time working the soil and tending plants is a great way to begin and end each day. With practice, one can use gardening time as a form of meditation. But instead of clearing the mind, a gardener focuses on the little world of the garden. Observing all that goes on and deciding what role they play in the garden. The interaction and understanding of all that lives in the garden is more in line with what the human mind was originally made for. By interacting in the garden ecosystem, we are in a way entering that small world, leaving the messy real world behind.

As we know, the only way out of hard times is through hard work. So, how does one justify moments of quiet contemplation when there is plenty of work to do? I doubt too many will sympathize with your need to recharge the old batteries. No, it is best to let the garden do the explaining; leaving the garden with a basket of produce, herbs and flowers proves time spent in the garden is productive. You may never have to explain how your garden has saved thousands of dollars for psychoanalysis! The garden can nourish the body as well as the soul, and free healthy food is always welcome, especially now.

So, don’t sit idle, spring is coming and it is time to start planning.  Our 2017 Catalog is at the press as I write, and we’ll be sending it in mid January.  If you aren’t signed up, contact us here to receive a FREE CATALOG. In addition, pot up something green to get you through the next few months.   So, do not let these hard times wear you down!  You know where to go for rejuvenation. And don’t forget to let the garden do it’s part; plant edible plants along with the flowers!