Brooks - Community Garden

Story by BRUCE PARKER
Brooks Bulletin

Brooks residents can attest to the benefits of gardening for their mental health.

Both Peggy Poole and Ken Dalgleish say they have both found enjoyment and relaxation through the community garden program.

The benefits go hand-in-hand with the May 1-7 mental health week theme of Nature and Mental Health–Are you getting enough Vitamin N?

During this week, Alberta Health Services encourages all people of Alberta to increase their intake of Vitamin N (N is for Nature) and get outdoors, said Bob Johnson, manager of addictions and mental health for the Brooks Health Centre.

Research has shown many health benefits around activities like gardening, playing outdoor sports, walking or running, or just sitting quietly and enjoying the scenery.

Increasing your Vitamin N can positively impact mood and energy and results in less negativity and worry. It reduces blood pressure and can help individuals recover more quickly from stressful events. It also boosts creativity, cognitive development in children and provides an overall calming effect.

Both Poole and Dalgleish have each worked a 4’X8’ portion of the community garden for the past two years and are looking forward to gardening this year.
More people are getting involved with the community garden each passing year and individuals have been learning as they go along, said Dalgleish.

He said Alberta Mental Health has speakers that come in to talk to clients. Last week there was a presentation on gardening.

Dalgleish said an important part of mental health is for clients to have something to go to where they will learn or socialize.

“A lot of people that come to coffee time, which is where this originated, would otherwise be at home,” he said.

Poole explained clients meet weekly at coffee time as a social group and the garden concept came from it.

People taking part in the community garden do not just come once a week. There is a watering plan and everything else where everybody does their part.

“It keeps us busy. Everybody is happy in the summertime with this,” he said.
Gatherings are not just strictly limited to gardening. Games are played and people have an opportunity to socialize.

Poole said the best part of the community garden for her is interacting with other friends and getting out of the house.

She likes being in the moment. Poole said she had never worked in a garden before this came along. Because of this, she is learning as well.

Johnston said the community garden was initiated when it was noticed a lot of people never left their homes.

He said it boosts confidence. Many people with mental issues have their confidence shaken.

With a community garden, everything you do is positive, said Dalgleish.
One step forward is absolutely a positive because there are a lot of steps backwards, he said.

One important lesson gardeners have learned is how to deal with the weather.
Last year was a wet summer. Because of this, there were no harvests of radishes last year. The previous year there were four.

“It rained so much that after we planted, all our seeds were everywhere.”
Because of this, gardeners were not sure where everything grew but Dalgleish said they dealt with it and learned from it.

They now plant what they think will grow best in certain parts of their garden.

Ways to take action: Community Strategies - Mental Health