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On Being Green

Sustainability has become a huge buzzword recently. At first I couldn't put my finger on just what it meant. When I realized that it had different meanings depending on who was discussing it I decided to try and understand all of its varied implications. Along the way I read an article that, while unrelated to the "green movement" had an impact on me personally. I've taken the liberty to paraphrase it below and hope that it inspires you to consider another facet to our beautiful, green world.

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In the best of times flowers help us celebrate the joyous occasions in our lives—the birth of a child, a wedding, career or personal success. In more difficult times plants give us hope and inspiration to meet the challenges of life.

The role of the plants and gardens in healing is ancient. From the early Chinese and Greeks to our own Colonial America,  gardens were believed to be a place of creativity for the mind and body. Growing plants became a way to relax and restore the soul.

In the past few decades the medical community around the world is rediscovering the healing power of gardens. Many hospitals and health care facilities are incorporating green spaces, flowerbeds and views of gardens into their surroundings and horticultural therapy programs are often an important part of a patient’s course of treatment.

Healing gardens can be found in a variety of institutions including substance abuse treatment centers, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, hospices and retirement homes, as well as in botanic gardens and arboreta around the world. Here are some notable examples.

• Cleveland, Ohio - The Men’s Garden Club worked with homeless women in temporary housing to create The Serenity Garden, a therapeutic green space that replaced the bleak asphalt paving that had filled the back yard of the facility.

• Minneapolis, Minnesota - The Center for Victims of Torture developed their Garden of Healing to aid in the healing process of people who have suffered psychological and physical abuse.

• Portland, Oregon - The Memory Garden provides a safe and enjoyable setting that addresses the restorative power of gardens for patients with Alzheimer’s.

• Jupiter, Florida - Doctors at the Medical Center found that cardiology patients in rehab who had a view of that facility’s Jacqueline Fiske Healing Garden from their room took less pain medication and had shorter hospital stays than those patients who could not see the garden.

A healing garden can take many forms but always provides interaction with nature. Visually plants provide inspirational colors or peaceful tones. We can hear the relaxing sound of water or the stimulating activity of visiting wildlife. The rich aroma of fresh earth and the delightful scent of perfumed herbs fill the air we breathe, while the fresh flavor of a crispy pea pod or sweet berry tempts our taste buds. We can touch the velvety smoothness of a flower petal or be touched by the movement of leaves in the wind.

Begin to create your own garden of healing today simply by planting a container filled with colorful flowers, a nutritious vegetable, or an herb such as lavender, sage, basil or thyme. In addition to being attractive and aromatic, these and many other herbs have been used medicinally for centuries. Watching and nurturing any plant as it grows provides power and energy to enhance your well-being.

The design and development of a healing garden, just like the process of healing and recovery, takes place over time. It is that journey and the time spent with nature that heals our body and soul.

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Plants that tolerate the Houston heat while offering beauty may seem like an impossibility. Not so! And while some of these may seem to be more suitable to other regions of the country and the State, they can be right at home in our Southeast Texas gardens.

Agaves and Yuccas offer a drastic departure in texture from our normal foliage of our Houston landscapes. Both have bold leaves that can often be blue to grey in color, a welcomed contrast to the many shades of green. They are also adaptable to our more tropical conditions when given lots of sunlight and good drainage. The Red Yucca may seem ordinary, but it is a Hummingbird magnet.

Grasses provide not only different textures and colors but movement in the garden. Choose larger varieties like 'Ivory Feathers' Pampas, medium grasses like Purple Fountain Grass or dwarf Maiden grasses. Leaf blades ripple in the wind adding motion and sometimes sound to the garden.

Finally one new and one old plant, both enjoying their time in the Sun. 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia has been described as Southern Baby's Breath. It mixes well with annuals and perennials to create a virtual bouquet in the garden. As a container specimen it tolerates dry conditions without worry. And the old-fashioned Paddle Plant has recently been picked up by several growers. It lends a different bold texture on a smaller scale, particularly as a container plant that one can move around.

Enjoy your garden and let Cornelius help you be a Success in the Garden this year!