It’s just about everyone’s favorite time of the year…the Marshall County Co-Op’s annual Mother’s Day event. Every year the Marshall County Co-op blooms and overflows with vegetable plants, beautiful hanging flowers, trees and shrubs, lawn and garden supplies and so much more!! It’s a beautiful plant paradise to walk through to find the perfect plant or flower for yourself or someone else. And since Mother’s Day is this month, you can choose the perfect flower or plant for her that she can nurture and love herself!
It is a time that makes you feel good. And since now we are experiencing the coronavirus pandemic, visiting the Co-Op may actually help your mental and physical health.
t’s proven that having your own garden can provide you with:
Home Grown Self Esteem
Even if you don’t think you have a green thumb, after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror. A person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth. It always feels good to accomplish new things, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do?
Gardening Reduces Stress

A study was made, and it asked two groups of people to complete a stressful task and then to garden for 30 minutes after that task. It showed that after 30 minutes of gardening, their cortisol levels became lower. Cortisol is the hormone associated with stress. Had a rough day? Get in your garden and let the stress melt away. Stress is a HUGE health risk, so this benefit of gardening is a big deal!
You are Helping Your Heart
Did you know that you’re burning calories and strengthening your heart when you’re out in the garden? According to WebMD, “Activities such as gardening, do-it-yourself projects and housework may be as good as formal exercise when it comes to reducing the risk for heart attack”.
Digging in the Dirt Makes You Happy

Studies suggest that inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety. According to Discover Magazine, “you get a dose [of M. vaccae] just by taking a walk in the wild or rooting around in the garden” and this could help produce a happy state of mind. Another reason to plant that garden!
You Will Sleep Better
Research at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that the light activity associated with gardening can help you sleep better at night. And we all need to sleep better at night.
Improved Hand Strength
All that digging, planting, and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening activities will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.
Gardening for Family Health

Gardening can be an opportunity for bonding with your family. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to all kinds of long-term health benefits, from reducing allergies to auto-immune diseases.

So folks, grab your veggie plants at the Marshall County Co-Op and give a garden a go. And remember that the employees of the co-op are always there to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about your garden. That’s just one of the many things that they do at the Marshall County Co-Op.
And make sure you check back here next month when I discuss all the benefits of surrounding yourself with flowers!!
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