Gardening is cheaper than therapy

Sad? Plant some flowers. Angry? Pull some weeds. Worried? Spend a little time outside focusing on the beauty around you. Whether you are tending a massive garden in the backyard or simply caring for the planters on your front steps, nurturing plants has a calm, mood-lifting effect on people.

“We see it all the time in the greenhouse,” says Lori Miller, Manager of Landscape Garden Center. “People walk into our greenhouse and they just relax. The sun, the flowers, the soothing sounds…it really is therapeutic. It’s nearly impossible to walk out of our greenhouses in a bad mood.”

Science even backs this up by stating that gardening leads to a rise in  serotonin and dopamine (hormones that make us feel good) and lowers the level of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress).

Even better? Activities like pulling, trimming, chopping, mowing and watering can be great exercise, for your body and your soul. There is nothing better than attacking a pile of weeds to vent your frustrations. And the feeling you get from a weedless, perfectly hoed and tended garden full of green, growing vegetables is extremely rewarding.

All good things…not to mention the ultimate reward of eating fresh sun-ripened tomatoes right off the vine.

Whether you’re just looking to get started with a few plants or you’d like to grow your skills, James Valley Garden Center has absolutely everything you need for the ultimate in gardening therapy, including expert advice and friendly staff people who love being outside as much as you will.

And next time your kids are driving your crazy, you’re feeling a little blue or your job has you at wits end, simply put on the gardening gloves and step outside. You’ll feel better in no time.