The Latest Dirt - Jan 2024

What Good, Gardening?

By Bill Miller

The above title does not ask: “What’s good gardening? We trained UC Master Gardeners, have a pretty good handle on that, and are at the ready to share knowledge and best practices with those in our community. But rather, and as Yoda might put it, “What Good, Gardening?”

Many authors have written about the positive aspects of gardening and the direct benefits bestowed upon the gardener. Now that we are in the colder, darker, and wet-winterish days, what an excellent time to step back and marvel and reflect on the advantages of gardening. Way back when Baba Ram Dass encouraged us to “Be Here Now,” what better place than a garden where you can be totally present and available to the very plants you are tending? Mindfulness is all the rage, and quite deservedly so. Being down on your knees, or maybe standing next to your raised bed, lets you focus on what is in front of you. And if we are not wearing headphones to catch the latest podcast, we can be silent and available in the present moment.

What wisdom can be gained as you care for each plant and the soil beneath it? We observe how plants grow, what and how beneficials and not so beneficials affect our vegetation, and how flowers or fruit progress through their maturational stages. Upon close inspection, we see this transformation become apparent before our very eyes, a way to connect to the annual cycles of nature that encircle us. This awareness may allow us to feel closer to the earth and more centered within it.

And what about that earth? Considering the enormous challenges of a warming climate and the overwhelming news unfolding around the world, how does our small effort in our backyards help the world be a better place? Maybe shovelful by shovelful. Acting locally by improving our soil is one small act to better the world. And who knows what ripple effect that may have on the overall health of our planet?

As UC Master Gardeners, we grow stuff. We know what a healthy crop of vegetables can do for us. Beyond that, we can share our harvest with neighbors, people in need, and a stranger…and that sends out another ripple of care and concern into our world.

So enjoy the quiet of your growing habitat, whether it be a patio, a pot, or a plot, and be grateful for the opportunity for self-discovery while making our world just a little bit better place to live.