others. While digging in the soil or pulling weeds, a family or community can come together with a shared sense of accomplishment (Hutchins, 2020). I experienced this as a child, when my grandfather taught me how to garden. Some of my earliest memories include eating blackberries from the bushes and green onions straight out of the ground at my grandparents' house and helping my grandfather devise flags, crinkly foil, and netting to discourage squirrels from eating our bell peppers. While gardening, I bonded with my grandfather and cultivated mental and physical wellbeing. Through SANO Nursery, I offer these and other benefits to the San Antonio community.
Digging in the dirt improves physical health, increases hand strength, and provides a dose of Vitamin D.
It also offers mental health benefits (Hutchins, 2020). "Inhaling m.Vaccal, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety" (Hutchins, 2020). As an adult, putting my hands in the soil and sharing this activity with others has increased my sense of wellbeing. Nothing brightens my day like getting a picture of someone's harvest or thriving garden that started as a seed I planted. Seeing these pictures of smiling and proud gardeners reminds me that SANO provides not only plants, but also wellbeing to our community. During the pandemic especially, growing plants grounded me during stressful times and led to many lasting friendships. Gardening was also beneficial for our community as they dealt with the difficulty of living during a pandemic.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 17
