Nature's way to relieve stress: How to reap the rewards of gardening, even if you don't have a backyard - Life Lessons

Shape, May, 2002 by Sherri Ziff Lester

Gardening brings serenity to a chaotic, stress-filled life. But you don't need a green thumb - or even a plot of land - to sprout your own earthly delights. "Not only does gardening have a grounding, calming effect on your spirit," says Shelley Cohen, L.C.S.W., of Beverly Hills, Calif., "but planting something and watching it grow is empowering, because it's a tangible way of seeing that you've had your hand in something creative from beginning to end."

Besides enriching your spirit, gardening provides health benefits too. House and garden plants give off oxygen and absorb airborne toxins, and they're good for our emotional health. Diane Relf, Ph.D., founder of the People Plant Council, a consortium of university researchers, says that just looking at plants and gardens can reduce blood pressure. In one study, patients with a view of nature got out of the hospital faster, needed fewer painkillers and even rang for their nurses less.

Plus, you'll get a surprising workout from digging and planting in your backyard. Even tending a simple, window-box herb garden can provide a ready supply of flavorings that add zest and good phytochemicals to your lowfat cooking. To begin:

* Start with a single, small project. Maybe one day you'll want to landscape your entire property, but if you're a gardening novice, for now concentrate on one pot. Go to a nursery and get a container, and choose some seeds that grow well in your climate. Or select a few small plants, whether herbs, flowers, or vegetables - anything that moves you. The secret to better growing results, according to Trisha Shirey, the director of flora and fauna at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas: preparing the soil. Shirey's. tip for good beginnings: When you buy your soil, get some compost too, and mix it in.

* For greater mental rewards, make it physical. "I love to play in the dirt," says Lisa Lossaso, owner of Soul-motion, a company that produces gift items, who recently got her feet wet and hands dirty in the gardening program at Lake Austin Spa. "I love that feeling of soil through my hands. It's a very soothing, sensual experience. I realized that gardening opens up my mind, and helps me become more creative. I relax, my mind relaxes and I'm able to get into a creative groove."

* Relieve stress at work instantly. To make bad days at the office a little brighter, cut a few flowers and keep a small bouquet on your desk. Or, bring a potted lavender plant to work, says Georgia Deutsch, the florist and herbal-wreath teacher at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in California. "When the flower itself dries out, keep a little dish of the dried petals on your desk, and while you're on the phone, play with it, move your fingers around it and squish it and let the aroma come out," Deutsch says. "When you just can't handle the stress, start smelling lavender. It can really calm you down."

* Add some spice to your life. Growing herbs can be especially simple, says Michaelyn Hodges, Ojaj Valley Inn's horticulture manager. "You can grow herbs indoors or outdoors, in a sunroom, in the kitchen, or with a grow light if it's too dark." Rosemary adds delicious flavor to chicken, roasting potatoes or oven-baked potato chips. Basil leaves make a fresh accompaniment to tomato on a turkey sandwich. If your desk at work is near a window, you can grow herbs in a small pot. Try mint: For instant flavor, pull off a leaf or two and add to hot tea, or add a sprig to iced tea.

Having a garden or even small plant on your desk at work is a great reminder to take a deep breath, appreciate life and slow down. So simply add water and enjoy.

Sherri Ziff Lester/s a TV writer in Los Angeles.