Welcome to Conquering Anxiety & Depression Through Gardening part 2.   I am so excited that you wanted to try your hand at gardening or even start asking yourself some questions about the process. Gardening is better than therapy! Maybe you would enjoy someone to garden with or inspire you about how easy growing your own food truly is? I am so glad you are here! I LOVE gardening. It has helped me connect with myself in a way I can't fully explain- but it's been very healing indeed! My mind, spirit, and body have healed so much from being in and with nature and yours will too if you want it to! 

Today we want to set ourselves up for success. We are going to do that by asking ourselves some very basic questions. So, let's begin!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

1. Do you have a lot of time/space or limited time/space?  If you don't have a lot of time or space, you are going to love our journey together because time is a commodity and honestly in todays fast paced society a lot of us have such busy schedules that while a garden might sound UH-MAZING- you may not have the space (both mental and physical) or the time- and that's okay! But if you choose to make time and create a little bit of space, you will enjoy these upcoming weeks! Here's a tip: Knowing what you want to do early on is helpful and saves time but not a requirement. It will help guide you along the way. So, if you don't know yet, that's okay too. If you do know- even better.

2. What kinds of foods do you eat now, and what can you add to them that you could be growing instead of buying every few days, weeks, etc? If you like savory/aromatic foods, you may want to start with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Those herbs are versatile and super easy to grow (minus sage as that one you may need to know a few tips and tricks (that I will share later so you can be an herbal genius in no time). If you are a salad eating muncher like me, then you may seriously enjoy growing your own sprouts and micro-greens! I have so much fun growing mine! Few tips and you will be on your way. If you already have an idea of what you want to grow (tomatoes, lettuce, or whatever) then you will enjoy following along in the upcoming weeks too! We will discuss soil amendments for both indoor and outdoor gardening. We also have soil-free (meaning dirt free) gardening instruction and that's a great option for countertops! I love mine!

3. Do you want to learn enough to grow your own food to live on or supplement? Indoor or outdoor? Invest or just use what you have? Grow from seed or use starter plants? Either way you will enjoy the upcoming information. You may start with one and end with with a desire for the other- or a combination! You may enjoy exploring a bit. The key is to make mistakes and not worry about "having all the right tools". If you have a container or even an old milk carton, your hands, and some dirt and water- you are good to go!

4. Do you want to grow flowers, food, herbs, or a combination? The more you will want to incorporate the more time you will need to tend to the needs of your plants so think about how many and what kinds you may want. If you don't have time, stick to countertops gardening and perhaps a small herb container garden and go from there. Better to start small and learn along the way than start to big and get overwhelmed or discouraged. Starting small (from seed) is a great education! But you don't have to. Some people use starter plants. There's something wonderfully satisfying about seeing your very first seedling sprout its first bud though! Awwww it's so adorable but also full of POWERFUL supercharged nutrients! We WILL BE talking about that too! It's important- more important that you may realize. 

5. Do you want to listen, see, or read this information?  Are you an audible learner who would enjoy listening to this information while you drive your car to work in a mp3 or podcast? Are you more visual and prefer to see this information in a video style format? Perhaps you want to relax and learn before bedtime and prefer reading late at night in a quiet place? Think ahead of what works best for you. Will you add your response below? You can also drop your questions by using our contact form and let me know what format you like best (video, MP3, Blogs) by clicking here and writing "Garden Therapy "in the header so I don't miss it!  

Answering these 5 questions will help you know what would be most helpful for you. Thank you for coming along this journey with me! See you soon! Don't forget to email me or comment below & let me know if you prefer MP3, VIDEO, OR READING A BLOG (or all 3?) . Let me know! Until we meet again,

"Enjoy the thoughts that make your soul bloom!"

Cheers!
Michelle