Month: December 2022

RESOLUTION #1: YOU WANT TO GET IN SHAPE

Whether this means losing weight or exercising more, gardening can help! There’s plenty to do in the garden that will give you a really good workout.

A tool on the ground? Drop into a squat to pick that up!

Carrying a watermelon? That’s totally a bicep workout!

And that doesn’t even include how all the healthy produce you’re growing will help you with your diet.

RESOLUTION #2: YOU WANT TO EAT HEALTHIER

A part of eating healthier is eating more fruits and veggies. So, think about your favorite fruits or veggies, and go grow those.

There’s nothing healthier than eating homegrown food. And junk food doesn’t grow on trees. That’s all I’m sayin’.

RESOLUTION #3: YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY

Gardening can save money on fresh organic produce for your family. You could save even more if you grow some storage vegetables, like winter squash, or can some food for use during the winter.

Plus, if you’re spending days out in the garden, you’re not out spending money on activities and shopping for things you don’t really need.

RESOLUTION #4: YOU WANT TO BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS

Gardening is as green as it gets!

If you’re growing your own organic produce, there’s no plastic packaging, no plastic bags, and no carbon footprint. Make it a double whammy by decreasing waste and composting at home, too!

RESOLUTION #5: YOU WANT TO LEARN NEW THINGS/A NEW HOBBY

Gardening is a fantastic, healthy hobby, and it’s fun for those who like to experiment.

I have only been growing food for about 6 years, and there’s never been a shortage of new plants to try. It seems like the more I learn, the more I want to know.

With gardening, I’m always trying and learning new things.

RESOLUTION #6: YOU WANT TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

We all want to get more done in the day. And you might wonder how adding garden tasks to your to-do list could possibly help you get more done.

But I argue that gardening will improve your mood, help you clear your mind, and calm your nerves so you can get more done. Plus, gardening is a very productive hobby all on its own.

RESOLUTION #7: YOU WANT TO BREAK YOURSELF OF A BAD HABIT

Changing habits is really hard. But distraction is key.

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop as they say. Focusing your energy on something productive, like gardening, will help you steer clear of that nasty habit you want to break.

RESOLUTION #8: YOU WANT TO DECREASE YOUR STRESS

A garden needs to be tended, and completing garden chores is a perfect opportunity for some peace and quiet. Or maybe you prefer to play music and dance while you pull weeds in the garden.

Create the perfect song playlist for gardening.

I might do either. It just depends on my mood, but they’re both great stress relievers.

RESOLUTION #9: YOU WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR KIDS

Maybe in the midst of busy work, school, and sports schedules, you don’t get to spend time with your family.

The garden is a great place to gather and work together. Show the kids all the bugs on your tomatoes.

Taste test different types of fruits and veggies and talk about which ones you like and don’t like. Give them their own set of garden tools for playing in the dirt.

Imagine the adorable photo ops!

RESOLUTION #10: YOU WANT TO SPEND LESS TIME ONLINE OR ON TV

There’s plenty of work to be done in the garden. Hours and hours of work if you want.

If your goal is to get off the couch, the garden is a great place to go. Plus, once you start seeing your plants grow, you’ll want to be out there checking on them and reveling in the fruits of your labor.

RESOLUTION #11: YOU WANT TO BE MORE CHARITABLE

You can always find someone to give your extra produce to, and sometimes you’re helping them more than you know.

Do you know someone who can’t grow their own food?

Maybe your neighbor loves their garden, but they can’t get out to tend it. Ask them if you can help.

Do you live in a close-knit community? Maybe you could set up a give a veggie/take a veggie stand in your yard. How fun!

RESOLUTION #12: YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SPOUSE

Gardening is a great activity to do with your spouse. I have always loved working in the garden with my husband.

We have cleared walking trails in our woods together, built raised beds together, and tied up tomatoes together. We plant, prune, harvest, and pull weeds together.

Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes I dance, most of the time he won’t.

The point is, we are working on something together and that brings us closer. Plus, gardening is sexy, y’all.

WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION AND HOW CAN GARDENING HELP YOU KEEP IT?

So what do you think? Are you ready to take up gardening to help you keep your new year’s resolution?

Share your experience in the comments below.

Tradition of Hanging Wreaths

The tradition of hanging wreaths made from evergreen boughs is thought to have begun in the 1500s in ancient Germany and Scandinavia, notably during Yule festivities. Timed to coincide with the winter solstice, Yule celebrated the return of the sun and the promise of spring.

However, wreaths crafted from natural materials have been used for millennia, sometimes worn on the head or around the neck, and sometimes hung on walls and doors.

Ancient pagan cultures believed that trees were homes to protective spirits and used wreaths made from tree branches in rituals relating to the changing seasons and fertility.

Pre-Christian Europeans added lit candles to evergreen wreaths as beacons of hope for the coming spring. During the Middle Ages, Christians adapted the tradition of candlelit wreaths in the form of Advent wreaths which they displayed in preparation for Christmas.

In Ancient Greece, wreaths were awarded in recognition of military achievements as well as to the victors of athletic, music, and poetry competitions. Winners of the Olympic Games, first held in 776 BCE, wore wreaths made from the leaves of olive or laurel trees.

Early Romans adopted the wearing of laurel wreaths from the Greeks as symbols of military victory. The type of foliage in a wreath eventually came to represent the status, rank, or occupation of the wearer. 

Some Native American tribes wore wreaths during ceremonial dances, including wreaths made of sage, an herb traditionally used in rituals to cleanse people and places of negative spiritual energies.

A part of the Ukrainian national costume, the flower wreath is traditionally worn by girls and unmarried women on festive occasions and on holy days. However, the region’s custom of wearing wreaths made from herbs, flowers, and brightly colored ribbons may date as far back as the 9th century.

Across Polynesia, wreaths called lei are worn by both men and women as decoration and are offered as gifts signifying affection or respect. In Hawai‘i, Pā‘ū riders are a fixture in most parades. Women dressed in flowing pā‘ū skirts and their male attendants all ride on horseback, representing different Hawaiian Islands or districts. Both the riders and horses wear lei made of symbolic plants.  

Throughout the world, wreaths have been used in ceremonies of remembrance. In addition to the display of flower wreaths at funerals, traditions include the floating of wreaths in water to honor those lost at sea, as well as the laying of wreaths at war memorials.

Wreath Construction

Anything that can be crafted into a circular form can be made into a wreath. Craft stores sell wreath forms made from wire, straw, and other materials in a variety of sizes. Pine boughs and other greens, as well as pinecones, berries, and other decorations can be wired or glued onto the form.

Do-it-yourself wreath forms include a wire hanger bent into a circle, a donut-shaped ring of cardboard, and woody vines woven into a circle.

Herbs, flowers, and other plants have historically been used to signify different sentiments. For example:

• Rosemary: remembrance
• Sage: wisdom, good health, long life
• Thyme: bravery
• Lavender: purity
• Rue: virtue
• Juniper: life and hope
• Calendula: health, joy
• Lavender: love, happiness, protection
• Yarrow: courage
• Sunflowers: spiritual growth, radiance, energy
• Oak leaves: courage, strength

Tucking a few sprigs into wreaths add extra meaning, or simply use them to add fragrance, color, and texture.

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