
The Healing Power of Gardens - _0vzt
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/sunday/oliver-sacks-gardens.html
======
Pfhreak
This article focuses a lot on large, well curated gardens, but I'm an engineer
who found a lot of solace and safety in managing my own garden. (As someone
who has faced burnout and anxiety from work before.)

There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that
appeals to my engineer brain. It's an exercise in organization and planning
that scales from "throw seeds at dirt" to "these plants will attract bees near
these other plants, these plants will repel insects. These will bloom early,
these bloom late".

You can grow flowers, you can grow vegetables which you can turn into cooked,
canned, or pickled food.

There's something about putting food on a plate that came from your yard, from
your care. There's something about sitting in a green (or red, or blue, or
yellow, etc.) space that you made.

I'm a sucker for games like Minecraft, Factorio, etc. Raising a garden is like
a slow motion version of those things. It's a fusion of creative and
scientific/engineering brains. It's great.

~~~
hanniabu
> There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden
> that appeals to my engineer brain

Agreed, and it's also not a stressful task in itself for some reason. I'm
somebody that's over analytical and tends to succumb to analysis paralysis,
but when it comes to garden work I never experience that. (possibly because I
know plants are resilient and it's hard to mess up?)

~~~
Pfhreak
The only thing that stresses me is when my plants fail and I don't know why.

~~~
jrumbut
Edit: I just saw your other post, this one in isolation made me think you had
tried gardening once and given up.

That just happens sometimes!

Hard to explain failures are often caused by one or more of over watering,
pests (including at the root level), too little soil, or bad soil PH. Symptoms
of pests include visible bugs, mold, eggs, or webs (check under the leaves) or
a weird smell. PH problems sometimes manifest as discolored leaves.

Also like animals plants have very different levels of vitality, there is
strength in numbers!

If you want to try again let me recommend herbs and leaf vegetables. Mint,
basil, arugula, lettuce, and mustard greens grow fast and mint in particular
is somewhat invasive and hard to stop it gets going.

It can be tough to grow a tomato that looks like the ones at the grocery store
without experience and more time and care. There's an art to it.

~~~
perfmode
i’ve had great results growing basil. I had a plant we named Harry, who
thrived in Palo Alto despite erratic care. Harry would drink as much water as
we could give it and would be visibly wilted when thirsty. Otherwise,
incredibly happy sitting in the sun and producing leaves.

~~~
Pfhreak
I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and I've had mixed experience with basil. I'm
trying to grow it hydroponically at home now, and it seems to be going pretty
well.

~~~
jrumbut
Yeah basil really takes well to that kind of setup and has the ability, given
sufficient light, to grow so vigorously that it creates a wide band of
acceptable fertilizer levels which can be a real challenge.

------
aloer
I've had a theory for some time now based on my own observations:

A big part of why nature is so calming is the absence of repeating patterns.
In our artificial life everything follows standardized forms and patterns.
It's a sterile world. The most obvious example being rectangles and perfect 90
degree angles everywhere. But I would also count things like uniform colors,
evenly spread (artificial) light, predictable sounds etc.

That makes me think that somehow something like this absence of patterns - and
the knowledge/assumption for our brain that they are not to be expected in
nature - helps us.

The beauty in this is that nature _is_ full of patterns. But on a different
level, no two patterns are ever the same. When you look at a green tree you
simply won't assume to find two leaves with the same color and shape. That's
the difference.

Some years ago I got myself an empty canvas frame and put natural linen fabric
([https://www.fabric.com/buy/ff-357/kaufman-antwerp-linen-
natu...](https://www.fabric.com/buy/ff-357/kaufman-antwerp-linen-natural)) on
it. No painting, just the linen. For the same reason: It's calming to look at

Or maybe I'm just weird :)

~~~
imesh
Sort of off topic: One of the more frustrating things about going out in
nature where I live at least, is seeing the pattern of invasive plants over
and over again. I can identify every plant in my area, an area that would have
been full of thousands of different trees and bushes now has repeating
landscape of about two dozen different plants.

~~~
ratacat
At some point in time, every plant was invasive.

~~~
erikpukinskis
No, invasiveness is a quantitative measure. A plant can force other plants
out, or it can coexist. The amount of net pressure on other species dictates
whether a plant is invasive. A Eucalyptus and a Live Oak will both use the
same sunlight but the Eucalyptus will lol everything underneath it.

Also, it is true that sunlight is a fixed resource, but the earth is not 100%
covered, even in mature forests. There are disturbances everywhere that can be
moved into and stengthening the ecosystem.

There are also resources which are not sunlight. The resource competition is
so multidimensional and open that you cannot conceive of life as a zero sum
game. Not yet anyway. Maybe in another billion years of evolution we will be
at the point where every movement is an invasion.

------
hospitate
Of all the plants, trees by far give me the most pleasure. A suburb with trees
is a thousand times better than one without. The shade of a tree is completely
transformative. It gives me a fuzzy warm feeling inside.

It’s concerning to me that such an important aesthetic component is so
transient and difficult to control. When you build a house, you control every
aspect of its design. It’s materials are tough and long lasting. But the trees
around the house are prone to dying. They get too old or they get sick or
whatever. And when they do, you can’t really replace them. I’ve seen tons of
houses where they had great atmosphere but then one of their large trees died
and the feeling of the house is totally ruined. I’m not sure if you can order
a grown tree and have it implanted but it’s probably really expensive. We need
artificial trees that last longer and are easy to replace.

Humans are drawn to vistas. Standing on the top of a hill and looking at the
vista is something everyone agrees is beautiful and feels good. I think it
might be because our ancestors were tree-dwelling monkeys. The higher in the
tree you climb, the better the view, the safer you are from predators. If we
are drawn to views then we would likely spend more time high up in the tree.
Maybe that’s also why we find trees themselves so appealing. Ancient wiring.

~~~
voidmain0001
I am fortunate to have a house on a larger plot of land considering it's in a
dense urban environment, and on the land are very impressive trees such as an
oak, a maple, a few birch, and a black cherry. Regrettably the birch are short
lived, and while they still produce leaves they are getting weak and I will
need to bring them down in a few years. The cherry still produces leaves and
may even flower this year, but its wood is very brittle and it will probably
come down this fall. It truly is sad as their loss will definitely impact why
I moved into the house.

------
jedberg
Before we had kids, my wife and I would work in the garden almost every
weekend. After spending a week dealing with servers on fire, doing mindless
repetitive work was exactly what I needed to rest my mind.

At one point I dug out a garden that was 37’ x 14’ and over a foot deep. I did
the math once and figured out that I moved more than 2000 lbs of dirt (a
literal ton) and then I moved a literal ton of bricks to the back yard to
build the retaining walls.

Measuring your accomplishments in tonnage is very satisfying.

~~~
benj111
"Before we had kids"

Why did you stop? Personally I make an extra effort to get them outside, for
young kids theres so much to learn in a garden, or out for a walk.

~~~
jedberg
The garden is too dangerous for the kids because there are a lot of sharp
things around. :) I didn't build it with kids in mind, so for example all the
wire fencing is just cut with no ends. We'll get out there with them in a few
years. My daughter helps with the front yard sometimes.

~~~
benj111
Fair enough.

Its all rusty barbed wire fence by us, so rationally it doesn't make a
difference, wouldn't want my kids injuring themselves on something like that
in the garden though.

------
jrace
>I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on
our brains, but I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers
of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically.
In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication. \---

I have witnessed this with my wife who's neurological disorder causes her to
be in a "fright or flight" state virtually all day every day.

When she is either planning the garden, tending to the garden or just enjoying
the garden I can see a reduced level of stress and increased ability to focus
and multitask. All things which are very difficult outside of the garden.

~~~
hanniabu
Not only is it visually pleasing, as an escape fro our usual concrete-filled
world (probably because we evolved living in nature), but without doing any
research to look up studies I feel like the reduced stress might also come
from the smell (pheromones).

~~~
kaycebasques
It goes deep in our psyche. In 101 Principles Of Design they mention a
hospital that put up photos of bamboo trees in their hallways, so that it
feels like you’re walking through a forest, because of the calming effect it
has on patients. Photos of trees, not even real trees.

------
sinemetu11
One of the gardens pictured in the article, Elizabeth Street Garden, is a
great spot in the middle of retail chaos in New York. Sadly a real estate
development filed a lawsuit this month in hopes of destroying it:
[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581fb257b8a79bf741c67...](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581fb257b8a79bf741c673a9/t/5c41f63242bfc10641576ff6/1547826743141/know+the+facts+-+v3.jpg)

------
kingkawn
We are, despite our pretenses, also products of the natural world, and do well
to reside amongst our kind.

~~~
benatkin
There's something about this I read on Slate Star Codex that I found
entertaining and insightful. It's easy to forget that we needed to be in a
fertile place in the past, and for the most part we don't need to now, except
for emotional reasons.

"Most people are happier when they’re in at least some Nature, whether this
means a grand national park or just a leafy suburb with lots of chirping
birds. The average person would consider a concrete lot full of Brutalist
apartments a little soul-crushing. This probably comes from an evolutionary
heuristic in favor of fertile areas and against barren ones; the closest
chimpanzee-parseable equivalent to a concrete lot would be a desert or lava
flow, where food and shelter are scarce. But nowadays we can order takeout,
and the Brutalist apartment buildings provide all the shelter we need. This is
probably another obsolete evolutionary relic, but it’s a very persistent one."

[https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/07/24/value-differences-
as-d...](https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/07/24/value-differences-as-
differently-crystallized-metaphysical-heuristics/)

~~~
omarchowdhury
I'd think it'd be well to also note, aside a evolutionary analysis based on
the past, in the present, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

~~~
benatkin
We also need plants to eat. We don't need direct access to the plants to eat
them, nor do we need direct access to plants to benefit from carbon dioxide to
oxygen conversion. I'm not aware of where the plants I eat come from, most of
the time. I'm not saying I don't need plants, I just don't necessarily need to
live among them, but I like being able to see plants frequently. I have no
desire to have my own garden though, I would rather appreciate nature in a
public place where everyone can enjoy them, such as parks and along streets.

------
adreamingsoul
I'm (hopefully) on the tail-end of dealing with mental health issues. I was
dealing with burnout, depression, substance abuse, trauma, psychosis, and
severe anxiety. Right about then I started this backyard project to create a
chemical-free, sustainable, and diverse "forest garden". Currently, about two
years later that Eco-system is starting to explode with more bugs, fungus, and
birds.

I found solitude, peace, and healing in the process of working with nature. I
worked hard to revitalize the natural environment around me, and through that
process I want to believe that nature found a way to heal me too.

Also, I had a therapist and a supporting partner who helped me through the
tough times.

Anyways, I can't recommend enough getting your hands in the dirt, appreciating
all forms of nature, and learning about the various Eco-systems that are
needed for nature to thrive.

------
vanderZwan
I miss Oliver Sacks. To see that there are still some writings by him to
discover is a treat.

------
checkyoursudo
My wife and I have been gardening for around 15 years.

We spent a couple of years, maybe 5 or 7 years ago, trying straw bale gardens.

It was quite interesting. I would recommend giving it a try some time. You can
do it even with just one bale. We did it with about 10-12 bales of oat straw
from a farm we knew.

E.g., [https://www.amazon.com/Straw-Bale-Gardens-Complete-
Karsten/d...](https://www.amazon.com/Straw-Bale-Gardens-Complete-
Karsten/dp/1591869072/) was the author of the book we used, though this seems
to be an updated version to the one we used.

I prefer raised soil beds, but this straw bale style was quite enjoyable.

------
galazzah
Does anyone recommend a particular guide for getting started in gardening?

~~~
someone7x
Square Foot Gardening is a great introduction; an retired aerospace engineer
finds the world of gardening full of contradictions and myths.

He boils it all down to fundamentals that are easy to apply.

------
Causality1
Given the author's observations, I would draw a different conclusion. I would
conclude it isn't so much that gardens are good for you but that urban living,
surrounding yourself with noise, strangers, glass, and concrete is bad for
you.

------
imartin2k
Oddly, I have never felt the allure of gardens, I don't have any plants
myself, and if I'd have to choose between a city environment and nature, I'd
in most cases choose the city (and not because of its parks). Both when I am
happy and when I am sad. I like a good sunset but that's it. I'm clearly in a
minority with this, it seems.

------
fillskills
I am actively working on a startup to encourage gardening for all the
mentioned benefits. If someone wants to chat about it please reach out. Email
in profile.

------
padolsey
Gardens and other natural spaces absolutely affect social and mental
wellbeing.

An interesting piece of research into the effects of greenery and nature on
wellbeing was conducted back in 2001 by Ming Kuo and William Sullivan [0]. I
love referencing it in discussions like these as it's a rather opportunistic
experimental setting that might have otherwise never occurred, and gives us
some pretty great data to recount when we only otherwise have anecdotes.

In Chicago there was a set of high-rise public-housing buildings. The
residents of these buildings had been assigned randomly by the public housing
system. Attrition over time had left some buildings surrounded by only
concrete and asphalt and others with pockets of green. Kuo and Sullivan were
able to compare levels of aggression of 145 residents. They found higher
levels of aggression and familial conflict recalled by those living less close
to nature. They backed up this data by looking at similar low-rise
developments [1]. Controlling for other factors, they compared crime rates of
inhabitants who experienced less natural proximity to those with more. They
found that roughly 7% of the variation in crime that couldn't be accounted for
by other factors could be accounted for by the amount of trees.

Ming Kuo has gone on to research the link between nature and school
performance, one of her recent studies concluding that "greening has the
potential to mitigate academic underachievement in high-poverty urban
schools."[2] In another fascinating piece of research she has also found that
"Children with ADHD have fewer symptoms after outdoor activities in lush
environments."[3]

Many of this research matches our collective anecdotes. We know that we are
somehow hard-wired for nature. Yet we keep ourselves locked away in buildings
for hours on end with little of it except corporate potted plants (often fake)
and the odd photo or poster on the wall. To pile on with another opinion... I
think there's something about 'wild' greenery that is distinctly effective
versus manicured greenery. Its chaos and growth somehow synchronise with the
minds' inherent nature. In an incredibly fundamental way, we are supposed to
be amongst that wildness.

[0]
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245234610_Aggressio...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245234610_Aggression_and_Violence_in_the_Inner_City)

[1]
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249624302_Environme...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249624302_Environment_and_Crime_in_the_Inner_City_Does_Vegetation_Reduce_Crime)

[2]
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327876862_Might_Sch...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327876862_Might_School_Performance_Grow_on_Trees_Examining_the_Link_Between_Greenness_and_Academic_Achievement_in_Urban_High-
Poverty_Schools)

[3]
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23192434_Children_W...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23192434_Children_With_Attention_Deficits_Concentrate_Better_After_Walk_in_the_Park)

------
gamebak
I hate having to pay for an article, can this be stopped from promotions on
HN?

~~~
sctb
> _It 's ok to post stories from sites with paywalls that have workarounds. In
> comments, it's ok to ask how to read an article and to help other users do
> so. But please don't post complaints about paywalls. Those are off topic._

[https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html)

