New Moon Greetings – January 18th, 2026
Gardening Can Save Your Life
I am not being hyperbolic – gardening can indeed save your life in a myriad of ways. You may be thinking that I’m writing about having fresh organic healthy food. And I will get to that in a moment. But there is an even bigger reason to take up gardening at this moment in time.
Tending Plants = Joy = Resilience = Saving Your Life
Cultivating joy is the needed remedy to staying resilient right now. Experiencing joy does NOT mean you are ignoring what is happening in your community or your world. Hopefully you are showing up in whatever way you can. But it does mean that you also take time to heal your nervous system. Simply being around plants reduces stress and increases emotional and physical resilience.
Gardening is taking the next step from being around plants to nurturing them in some way. And gardening encompasses a whole range of activities for every life situation. Whether you have a back yard garden, pots on a patio, containers on a window sill, or bean
sprouts in a jar in your kitchen, it is all gardening. Watching seeds magically sprout, harvesting the first tomatoes of the season, growing your own basil for pesto, gathering a bouquet of fresh herbs and flowers – all of these create joy. And joy will save your sanity and your life.
The Obvious Reason – Fresh Organic Healthy Food & Herbs
Let’s circle back to the more obvious reasons to garden. It can save you money and ensure that your food is fresh (which means more nutrients) and also free of pesticides. Additionally, if you have a backyard garden you will be exercising without really thinking about it. So all of this will definitely help save your life. See all of the tips below for getting started.
Connectedness
Gardens help us connect with the green world and with other gardeners. As noted above, connecting with the green world in any way can help us be resilient in the face of challenges. But gardening is also a way to connect with others and build community through seed sharing and other activities.
If you do not have your own back yard space, there may be a local community gardening program that you can join. There are also volunteer garden opportunities you may be able to find in your area with a quick online search. Both of these will help you meet and connect with other real live human beings to build community and take a step back from doom scrolling.
When you have a surplus of zucchini or tomatoes you can share them with neighbors and friends, building connections. The Fresh Food Connect program exists in many cities and makes it easy to donate your surplus veggies to local hunger relief programs. If you are already an established gardener, check them out and make a commitment to grow some extra food to donate.
So how to get started or expand your gardening?
- Don’t overextend yourself. Start with a small bed or a few pots. Be realistic. It’s better to start small and be successful. (I don’t usually follow this advice so take it as you will.)
- If it is your first garden, start with the basics. Every county in the United States has a County Cooperative Extension Office that originally supported farmers with education, but now includes home gardeners. They can tell you what varieties of plants do well in your area. You can find your local office at this link. Just be aware that they are not always oriented toward organic growing.
Understand the difference between heirloom and hybrid. Heirlooms are time tested successful varieties, some with amazing stories of how they were saved. (See the Seed Savers Exchange below.) You can save heirloom seeds each year from the plants you grow (think open-source). Hybrids have been developed in a way that seeds saved from plants you grow will NOT grow true the next year. Now there may be a reason that you choose a hybrid over an heirloom. Just know that you cannot save your own seeds.- Keep it organic – for your family and your planet.
- There are of course one million YouTube videos on gardening, but you may also want to check your public library for a book that gives you all the basics.
- The seed catalogs listed below (some are on line and some are print) also include information on growing each plant listed.
- Think about what you and your family eat and start with those plants. (If no one eats okra, don’t plant it no matter how well it does in your area.)
- Make friends with gardeners. They often have seeds and perennials to share.
You can start with established seedlings
Look for local plant sales in the spring that benefit gardening projects. Here in Denver the Front Range Organic Growers and Denver Urban Gardens both host spring plant sales and the money supporting their organizations’ missions. The Front Range Organic Growers is an all volunteer organization and they support other non-profit gardening projects with the funds. Denver Urban Gardens support community garden spaces through the city and educates new gardeners. Check out what is available in your area (instead of shopping at a big box store).
Favorite Garden Catalogs that offer lots of heirloom and interesting varieties
Grand Prismatic Seed Company I discovered this company while searching for dye plants as I am experimenting with dying fibers that I’ve spun. They have a great selection and lots of information.
Trade Winds Fruit Such a fun catalog – lots of things I can’t grow, but Over a decade in business bringing gardeners rare and exotic edible, heirloom and ornamental seeds from around the world. Smaller packets of seeds for home gardeners and so more affordable
.Seed Savers Exchange Their mission involves collecting, sharing, and educating people about the importance of heirloom seeds.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Lots of unique and heirloom plants from all over the world.
Strictly Medicinal Seeds If you are looking to create a medicinal herb garden in pots or in your garden, this is the seed catalog to start with.
Gardening can bring you joy, health, strength, and resilience – It can save your life. So what is stopping you?
If you are new to gardening or expanding your garden I’d love to hear what your fun projects are for this next season.
About this Blog Post & and Qigong Practice
This post is part of my lunar blog series. I post each new moon as it is a great time to begin projects and set intentions with the increasing light. Topics are related to related to plants and ideas featured in my book, Growing Mindful. . Other topics are related to mindfulness, gardens, qigong, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here.
About Qigong – I lead qigong at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver on the last Sunday of each month(except for January and February). You can find the schedule in announcements on the home page. I have also partnered with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.
