Start Gardening Now to Boost Your Life Satisfaction Well Into The Golden Years

True story.  For many years I hosted High School Seniors for a 6-week internship at the end of their senior year in my garden shop.  During this time, I taught them a lot about horticulture and coordinated other opportunities for them to experience the world of gardening.
 
I was not naïve, the students who asked to do their senior internship were not necessarily interested in pursuing horticulture.  In fact, many admitted they came to me because, “I heard you were nice”, it was local, and outside.  Many other students opted for more corporate opportunities only to find they were relegated to filing and menial tasks.
 
One of my favorite places to send the students for the day was to work with our local Garden Club.  At the time, the club members were mainly senior women who had been gardening their whole life.  They created gardens around our community.
 
The students would return from a day of weeding, digging, planting, hauling, looking as if they were crossing the finish line of a marathon in last place.  Their hair was meshed to their heads, sweat beading on their foreheads and they practically crawled to the desk to find their precious water bottles.  
 
“How did it go?” I would ask as they gulped the water down, not even turning in my direction to answer.  I would wait for an answer and wait.  Then I would say with a smile, “They beat your asses didn’t they?”
 
Eventually, they would let the empty bottles fall to their laps and one by one answer, “Yeah!  And they are all over eighty years old!”
 
As it turns out, new research shows that gardening can enhance life satisfaction especially as we age. 
 
Ready to enhance your own satisfaction with life?  If you aren’t already an avid gardener, maybe start with some simple, easy-to-grow plants this spring.  I highly recommend creating a simple container filled with lettuce seeds.  I also love planting snap peas, super easy, although they do need a trellis or something to grow up on.  Looking for a pop of color?  Pansies are plentiful this time of year and won’t die on you even if another dose of snow arrives or temperatures dip below freezing.
 
As always, I encourage you to learn more from the many videos on The Nature Nurse™, PLLC youtube channel highlighting easy and inspiring ways to garden:  
Healthy Green Thumbs Playlist
Create Your Own Cutting Garden Playlist
 
So don’t be like Mick Jagger.  Start gardening and get some satisfaction.

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