Growing Your Happiness - Literally!

For those of you who have read my book "The Happiness Tree",  or at least several of my blog posts, you know that I am a big advocate of getting outside as much as possible. Which for a writer, can be a bit of a challenge. But there in lies the imperative to find a balance.

Very few of us have the time or inclination to drive miles to a hiking trail on a regular basis, to reconnect with Nature, but that connection is essential to your Happiness strategy. So what can you do to keep the Natural world accessible and integrated into your busy life?

Tend a garden.

I am very lucky to have a fairly large piece of property in a rural area of San Diego county, California. The weather here just about defines “perfect”. As such, I can grow a wide variety of flowering plants along with edible fruits and vegetables.

A few years ago, I converted an unused slope in my back yard into a terrace garden. I won't lie, it was a lot of work and not cheap. But it is now a source of great pride now for me, each time I wake up and gaze out on my yard. I beckons me each morning to make that essential connection. 

Any involvement with the garden now pays exponential dividends: exercise, sunshine, harvesting the bounty I’ve helped to create, breathing fresh air, seeing life burgeoning and blossoming all around me. The feeling is stupendous and I now know that gardening in one form or another will be a part of my life from now on.

 

But what if you live in an apartment or your home sits on a small lot?

As long as you have even a balcony, you can grow an amazing variety of beautiful and productive plants. Tomatoes are one of the first to come to mind. They can be left in a pot with a plastic or wire scaffold to support the fruit. Just water, fertilize once in a while and voila! You’ll eventually have juicy and delicious tomatoes to enjoy in a salad or as a marinara sauce.

 

 

 

 

If you have a yard of any size, there is often unused or poorly used space that can be "repurposed" for a garden. Planting along a fence is a great strategy that provides support for those plants that need it and leaves the majority of the yard available for recreation. 

 

Cilantro, mint, parsley, kale and many other leafy veggies can be grown in small planters, providing healthy and delicious flavor and color to your culinary creations. 

 

 

 

 

But you may not even have a balcony. What then?

In almost every major city, there are community gardens that operate like a co-op. You join for little or no money and contribute your time to build and maintain the garden, then reap the benefits of fresh, healthy food to take home. I highly encourage everyone to check out the expanding opportunities for community gardens in their neighborhoods. They provide all the benefits of outdoor exercise, with the added joy of social interaction. 

I cannot think of any activity that incorporates as many Happiness strategies as Gardening. When work, relationships, money and gadgets become tedious and fail to satisfy, look to Nature. She is the one friend, therapist, parent, confidant, playmate and exercise partner who will always be available and ready to support your happiness. Think about it!

-Shane Eric Mathias

Author of "The Happiness Tree"  Available here