BOUNTY WITHOUT BURDEN

Photo by Jeffry Surianto on Pexels

“Morning and spring have their freshness, noon and summer their power, night and winter their repose. Each attribute is good in its own season.” —Charlotte Brontë

SUMMER’S ALLURING VEGETABLE GARDENS

As spring turns into summer, two things I look forward to are enjoying a long Memorial Day weekend and observing a variety of vegetable gardens springing up in yards, year-round school plots, balconies, and seemingly abandoned tracts of land beside church parking lots. Roughly 35% of US households grow food, according to the National Gardening Association, a trend confirmed by my own observations. I love seeing this assortment of gardens and admire the gardeners’ enthusiasm for growing food in home and community settings.

As one of the 35% of household food growers, I have watched my own gardening trends evolve. In the past, I rushed to plant seedlings early in the season, but as the growth of overhead tree branches reduced the garden’s sunlight, I’ve turned my attention to edible plants that practically grow themselves and enjoy the variety and ease they offer. There are trade-offs, of course: I grow fewer tomatoes and radishes but harvest more dandelion greens, arugula, and edible flowers.

Growing foods that require little planting and maintenance has been a pleasant surprise. I can see how this approach may make gardening more attractive for others who want the pleasure and health benefits of home-grown foods but worry that the time and expertise needed to grow them might be burdensome.

PLANTS THAT PRACTICALLY GROW THEMSELVES

Years ago, a local plant seller wanted to know why I kept purchasing sage plants every summer. During our discussion, he pointed out that I was killing the sage with kindness—rich soil, excess water, unnecessary fertilizer, and too much shade. His advice: “Find the right spot and let the plant take care of itself.” After adopting this approach, it was easier for me to choose edible plants that prosper with minimal input. These plants are inexpensive, fast growing, relatively pest- and disease-free, easily grown from seeds, or in the case of perennials, only need to be planted once.

As a result, I’ve harvested the same low-maintenance parsley, kale, Swiss chard, chives, oregano, mint, dandelion, strawberries, thyme, and rosemary for years. (The strawberries, however, have more flavor when the plants are fertilized.) Many of these plants can be grown on decks and sunny windowsills though the need for additional watering increases maintenance.

FLAVOR FRESHNESS AND HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE

While the rich flavor of home-grown foods may be well known, their rich nutritional value is often less appreciated. For example, dandelion greens are high in calcium and have eight times more antioxidants than spinach. Parsley is rich in trace minerals; basil is high in magnesium; and kale is rich in cancer-fighting sulfur compounds.

Also less well known are the rich flavors and nutritional value of edible flowers such as dandelions, daylilies, lilacs, nasturtiums, sunflowers, and violets—flowers from plants that require little support, provide interesting tastes (nasturtiums taste like radishes), and maximize the beauty of salads and other dishes.

Consuming fresh, flavorful, nutrient-rich foods is one of the more enjoyable ways to build health. Harvesting produce from high-yielding, low-maintenance plants is one of the easier ways to do this.

MORE OPTIONS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Revealing easy ways to find and consume health-building foods is a focus of the High Health Network. We believe that knowing more options for obtaining quality foods leads to more opportunities for consuming them.

But unlike plants that thrive with little support, health building is more successful in rich environments with abundant resources and communities of like-minded others. That’s why we created the High Health Network: to cultivate and share the resources, knowledge, and support necessary for health building with our community members, which makes their work easier and more successful.

There is no better time than now to begin applying these novel concepts and no better place to grow bountiful health—without burden—than the High Health Network. If you want more options and opportunities for health-building success, contact us and find out more.

Joyce M. Young, MD, MPH
Managing Director, Advanced Wellness Systems
Lead Expert for the High Health Network

 Photo by MHMD on Unsplash   

“I’m not a dirt gardener. I sit with my walking stick and point things out that need to be done. After many years, the garden is now totally obedient.” —Hardy Amies

Sincerely,

Your colleagues at Advanced Wellness Systems