Friday, may 7, 2010
14 | health & fitness.
Garden work can heal body, spirit T
here are few activities that are as Plant fragrant plants in just a few healthy for you as gardening. It spots to provide a mystery perfume helps keep you fit while also being that wafts through the garden. Plant rewarding for mind, body and spirit. them in containers to scent a deck or Think about it: Fragrant flowers feed patio, or locate them beneath a window the senses and the soul. Homegrown vegand let their aroma drift indoors. etables feed the family and are delicious There’s a new Erysimum available and nutritious. Shade trees provide food that bears fragrant, bright golden-yellow and shelter for both you and the birds, flowers. Called Gold Rush, this perennial while shrubs and colorful perennials give grows 8 inches tall and would look great you a gentle workout as you trim branches along the edge of a path, where its scent and deadhead fading flowers. could be enjoyed as you walk From early recordings of by. Wallflowers like the sun, civilization, man has harand deer seem avoid them. vested roots and leaves from Then there’s lightly scentthe earth to feed himself ed Tulbaghia fragrans. This and help him feel better. It is drought-tolerant society not simply what is ingested, garlic has thick, wide leaves however, that is good for us. and looks quite different Working in the soil or from the traditional variety, even viewing a landscape although the flower is simihas been proven to assist lar. The fleshy leaves are in the healing process. It’s deer-resistant, too. JAN NELSON been shown in studies that In spring, there may be patients recover quicker and The Mountain Gardener nothing quite as spectacular need fewer pain drugs when as a wisteria vine loaded with their rooms have a view of trees instead purple, pink, blue or white fragrant flower of just walls. Plants and flowers have a clusters covering an arbor or pergola. In calming effect on both patients and the San Lorenzo Valley, where I live, you can rest of us. Caring for and connecting with see them growing high in the trees along nature are ways to heal the spirit, too. Highway 9. They are true survivors. If Most of us love having flowers and you’ve ever tried to get rid of one (heaven plants with fragrance in the landscape. forbid), you can attest to their tenacity. In A few unlucky people have allergies to the right spot, their scent is divine. strong smells, but most of us can’t help There are many fragrant native plants, but swoon over a fragrant rose or a boutoo. Philadelphus, or mock orange, is one quet of lilacs. A garden’s fragrance can be of the best, but spice bush, Ribes viburas unforgettable as its appearance. The nifolium, carpenteria, rose and some scent of a particular flower can make you ceanothus are mildly scented, too. remember past times and places. I can’t leave out the old-fashioned
Jan Nelson/Press-Banner
Aromatic: Wisteria vines, like this one at Filoli Gardens, provide a classic scent in the garden.
border carnation. Their clove-scented flowers are borne in profusion, making them a nice addition to the mixed flower border and containers. Cinnamon Red Hots, a newer variety, bears inchwide bright red flowers that attract butterflies and need no deadheading. When you head into the garden, warm up before you grab the spade to prevent injuries. Break up your tasks so you aren’t trying to tackle every-
thing Saturday morning. Remember that tired muscles are more prone to injuries. Plant something to eat that you especially like. And, most of all, take the time to let the healing powers of your garden do their magic. Jan Nelson, a certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at janis001@aol.com.