Slice of Life - Gardening is Good

When I walked my students to the buses today it was warm, the sun was out and I began planning my evening.  If I ignored the have to do and try to achieve list I would...garden.  I felt the need to plant something and as I chatted with our first bus driver I started to create a vision of what this could look like.  I could start cleaning out my beds.  That seemed like the first step.  I wish I had pansies.  My grandmother use to plant pansies each year around her house on the lake.  I didn't have pansies so I started thinking I could maybe tackle the vegetable beds.  After going on our farm field trip I was feeling inspired to grow.  

I had to stop at the grocery store.  Before I got inside they had pansies!  I knew I had to do something about this.  I bought two packages of pansies and picked up a few things we needed and stuff for an easy dinner so I could plant my pansies because the reality is I can't ignore the to do or to achieve list.  

My youngest and I planted three pots of pansies.  I took out the old morning glory plants in two more planters and I emptied my kitchen compost bin.  When I was done, I felt better in general.  My other grandmother always said gardening was good for you.  Getting your hands in the dirt, creating, nurturing, designing all of these things can happen while you garden.  

I came inside, back to reality and "googled" why gardening is good for you.  CNN had an article titled just this, Why gardening is good for you.  This article elaborates on gardening helping by being a stress relief, helps achieve a better mental health, exercise, brain health, and nutrition.  Early in the article it mentions gardening as a sensory activity.  Think about all of our students who have sensory needs.  Students who need to touch things.  Students who like to do things with their hands.  I'm thinking it's time to open the sand table filled with rice that hasn't made it to our to do/achieve list of learning which makes me sad, tomorrow!