My garden is never quite how I want it. I’m sitting here thinking about how I still need a truck full of compost and wondering how I will get it from a local ranch to my backyard. Let’s face it, nobody wants shit in their car. Between teenagers and a toddler, there are a lot of moving parts in the logistical planning of my backyard garden. But, you know, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is a labor full of health and of love.
Cultivating a garden takes work and often yields less fruit than I was hoping for. Sometimes, it’s when my hands are in the dirt or I’m knee-deep in manure that I find myself centered, and I remember why I do this in the first place. It’s not always about how your garden grows but that you are growing a garden.
There are many benefits to a backyard garden, but here’s a few from a naturopathic medicine perspective that I use to remind my patients:
- Growing your own medicine, in my opinion, is better than buying it in the store. Fresh herbs are high in medicinal qualities and easy to eat and use.
- Gardening is a stress management tool. Ground yourself in nature by putting your hands in dirt, touching plants, smelling flowers, and tasting your garden’s yield.
- Being outside is an easy form of vitamin D therapy. Vitamin D is good for your immune system, mood regulation, hormone balance, and can help reduce inflammation.
- Walking, stretching, digging, and lifting are all movements you use in the garden. Functional Movement is one of the healthiest ways to prevent disease, aches & pains, and elevate mood.
- Supplementing your nutrition with items from your garden is a cost-effective way to help manage your healthcare.
Gardening is a worthwhile endeavor for many reasons, but it wasn’t until COVID that we had to start worrying about supply chain issues. Another important benefit of a backyard garden is the opportunity to preserve what you grow in excess.
What if you could have your medicinal garden right at your fingertips? What would you grow?
Here are a few examples of things you would find in my backyard garden this summer:
Veggies: Garlic, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, spinach, kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, onions, root veggies
Herbs: Calendula, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, chamomile, holy basil, lemon balm, echinacea, mint, California poppy, and thyme
BONUS TIP – WILDCRAFTING (aka foraging) for native medicinal herbs, including: bergamot, whorehound, strawberries, mushrooms (make sure you are skilled in this or have a guide), vervain, goldenrod, hawthorne, chamomile, asparagus, mint, hops, yarrow.
Plant medicine isn’t something you have to break the bank to buy. There are many ways to cultivate your own medicinal garden. We offer nutritional solutions for healthcare, one of which is empowering you with the knowledge to care for yourself in a more whole way. Let’s have a conversation about functional medicine and how it can help you get to the root cause of your symptoms. We can create a personalized plan for you. I offer a complimentary call for new patients. Contact me by calling 303-688-6698 or scheduling online.
Dr. Graves is a naturopathic doctor in Castle Rock, Colorado, practicing at Colorado Natural Medicine & Acupuncture. CNMA serves both the greater Colorado Springs Area and the Denver Metro Area.
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