The Healing Garden

Natural Cure Revealed for

Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Low Serotonin

© Sally Morton May 25, 2007

Come into the healing garden and discover what may be the next natural cure for depression, anxiety attack, OCD and more revealed. Unbelievable, cheap as dirt discovery! Gardeners have long known that working in the soil will make you feel better, happier and more content. But until recently, there was no scientific answer as to why it is so. Gardening as a healing therapy has been practiced since ancient times. Maybe this article can put you on your path to healing and happiness in a God-healing garden. Depression, Anxiety, Aggression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Bipolar Disorder all have a common link: low serotonin level. Serotonin is a natural chemical produced by your brain. When you laugh, endorphins and serotonin are released. A very simple way of stating this is “happy feel good medicine” is released in your body which actually promotes healing. So, one method of natural cure is to find something to laugh at: a comedy, a comedian, a great humor book or someone you enjoy being with. The Bible puts it this way, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” That has a literal interpretation, scientists now know. The Bible records that God planted the first 'Garden of Eden,' so gardens have always had a mysterious, spiritual quality to them. It further records: "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food)." (Genesis 1:29, KJV) The most recently unveiled natural cure is, well, cheap as dirt! Recently researchers found that mycobacterium vaccae bacteria increased vitality and cognitive function in cancer patients, and lessened their pain. The theory is that the bacteria works by activating brain cells to release more serotonin. Guess where this bacteria can be found in great abundance? The answer is in dirt. Soil. That black stuff right under your feet! This may be the scientific answer to why gardening lifts your spirits and promotes a a sense of calm and peacefulness. When you dig with your hands in the dirt, you are coming into contact with this non-harmful bacteria, among many others. Of course, it's also good exercise, you feel good about producing something worthwhile, and you're out in the fresh air and sunshine, so there may be a combination of factors at work. Antidepressants work by regulating serotonin level and stopping re-uptake or absorption of serotonin the body produces. This bacteria appears to work by stimulating the body to naturally produce more serotonin – just as laughter stimulates production. Another plus for playing in the dirt is that past studies have suggested that exposure to bacteria in childhood builds protection against allergies and asthma. So the next time you are feeling blue, perhaps all you need for your natural cure or therapy is to laugh out loud and go play in the dirt. Or better yet, plant a vegetable garden and you’ll have an excellent excuse to explain to neighbors why you are playing in the dirt. A vegetable garden yields further healing for your body and mind too in the vitamins, minerals and nutrients supplied from the fresh vegetables and herbs. ### Resources & Sources “Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical serotonergic system: Potential role in regulation of emotional behavior.” C.A. Lowry, J.H. Hollisa, A. de Vriesa, B. Pana, L.R. Brunetb, JRF Huntb, JFR Patonc, E. van Kampena, D.M. Knighta, A.K. Evansa, GAW Rookb and S. L. Lightmana. Neuroscience available online 28 March 2007

Raised bed gardening has been shown to produce nearly twice as much as conventional vegetable gardens in less space. Raised bed gardening tips and gardening ideas...

Raised bed gardening was common during the colonial era for vegetable gardens. Today, raised bed gardening is popular again.

Some benefits of raised bed gardening:

• Easier pest control.
• Increased productivity per square foot. Per University of Ohio, Dawes Arboretum doubled its yield over a 3-year period in raised bed gardening versus conventional.
• Water conservation Beds warm quicker so you can plant earlier and extend your season.
• Beds can double as cold frames.
• Saves space and time.

In raised garden beds (meaning higher than the ground), typically four feet wide, you can reach to any point of the bed without having to walk through it. No space is wasted! If you want several beds, construct paths between them.

Is raised bed gardening for you?

Gardening Tip: If you have slow-drying clay soil, soil that does not drain well, or any soil situation that is undesirable, raised bed gardening may be your best solution.

Gardening Tip: If you have arthritis, back trouble, or if you are a senior citizen, raised bed gardening and container gardening are ideal!

Gardening Tip: If space is limited and you need to get the most out of the smallest area; or if you have pets in your yard that would overrun a vegetable plot; then raised bed gardening or container gardening is for you!

Gardening Tip: The vegetable garden plan is even more important in raised bed gardening. Arrange plants so they complement each other, and do not shade or overgrow others. Your garden plan should incorporate these needs:

1. A North-South orientation is best for low-growing plants.
2. East-West might be best for tall growing plants (corn, peas, beans, caged tomatoes) and then you plant the low-growing plants on the Southern side of those to avoid shading them.
3. Try a technique called interplanting. Plant corn to allow pole beans to run up them. Plant the beans on the Southern side. Or you could plant corn with melons or cucumber between. Gardening Idea A bed is basically four pieces of pre-cut lumber, formed into a narrow rectangle and joined at the corners. You can use pressure treated lumber, cement blocks, brick or redwood. Raised Bed Gardening Kits are available in garden supply stores or on the Internet. A frame is not mandatory; you can mound the dirt into a rectangular bed.

More Gardening Tips

--If burrowing pests are a problem, put wire on the ground under the bed. --Put optimum soil into your bed at the outset. Keep beds optimum by adding compost. Per Ohio University, one-third of soil in the root zone should be existing soil.

--A clever gardening tip is to build support systems for tomatoes, etc. mounted to the bed frame so they are more durable. Another is to construct seating around the beds for those with back trouble. Gardening Idea: Plant raised beds with themes. A pizza and Italian bed might have tomato, oregano, basil, chives, onions, and peppers.

Gardening Idea: Ohio University was used as a source for this article: Ohio Online. ### ©April, 2006, text by Sally Morton. Reproduction without permission prohibited.