Springtime means the start of another season of gardening.
Gardening is a prime outdoor recreation activity and terrific physical exercise for health. All the major muscle groups — legs, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, back and abdomen — get stronger from digging, weeding, hoeing and picking. Bending and stretching improve flexibility, balance and cardiovascular health. Hundreds of calories are burned to keep you active and support a healthy weight.
Garden vegetables and fruits are tasty, nutritious and bargain-priced foods created by the hands of the gardener. Many of us grew up on farms where gardens grown in rich Red River Valley soil provided most of our meals.
Horticulture therapy is among the best prescriptions written. The senses are aroused through simple, relaxing and meditative leisure. Gardening is an escape, intimate time with nature, breathing fresh air and benefiting from vitamin D-loaded sunlight.
Gardening is multigenerational and we enjoy hours with our children and grandchildren in the garden. Even 1-year-old James is a food taster and enjoys picking sweet strawberries. Elders like myself enjoy gardening for a lifetime. Life skills like hard work and patience are learned.
Raise different colored plants to get a variety of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Our favorites are red — tomatoes, watermelons and beets; orange and yellow — carrots, muskmelon, sweet corn and sweet potatoes; green — kale, beans, Brussels sprouts, peas, artichoke, asparagus and broccoli; blue and purple — eggplant and cabbage; and white and brown — potatoes, zucchini and onions.
Be curious and try new plants. Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean but like Dakota summers. Their leaves taste like green celery nut pudding when dipped in garlic butter and gleaned through your teeth.
Most of our garden plants are grown from a tiny seed and it is magic to see their growth into a bountiful plant.
Gardens are artlike. Picturesque scenes are created with a variety of colors, textures, shapes and plant growth. Arbors created from fence panels highlight vining plants like cucumbers.
Gardening encourages environmental stewardship and sustainability. Mulching around plants with grass clippings, compost or mulch minimizes weeds, cools the soil and maintains moisture. Gardens should get about an inch of rain a week. If Mother Nature is dry, give them a drink.
Community garden plots, planting pots, backyards and raised beds are among possible sites. A safe gardening season is mid-May to mid-October.
Gardens matter to pollinators. Native bees pollinate most garden plants.
Mother Nature is a wonderful gardener. Forage its wild offerings like asparagus, wild grapes and morel mushrooms. Wild asparagus can be anywhere — cemeteries, abandoned farmsteads, ditches, fence lines and railroad tracks. The Kidder Recreation Area and southside orchards produce tasty fruits like honeyberry, sour cherries, apples, currant, gooseberries, pears, plums, mulberries and Juneberries.
Gardens are nourishing year-round through food preservation. Frozen tomato soup and pickled beets are my favorites.
Gardening is the super hobby!
Wayne Beyer is the former Wahpeton Parks and Recreation director.
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