Growing Gardens
Thank you to everyone who received treatment at Well Forest Acupuncture last year. You helped me donate $50 to Friends of Trees, a wonderful non-profit that works to plant and care for trees in neighborhoods all around Oregon and Vancouver.
The non-profit we are supporting in 2021 is…
This year I will be donating a percentage of my earnings to support Portlands own, Growing Gardens!
Growing Gardens has developed three programs that center around building meaningful relationships between humans and plants.
Home Gardens— A free three year program that supports Portland residents in starting and maintaining their own garden. Growing Gardens provides one-on-one mentoring throughout the entire growing season, helping residents learn about seeds, starts, compost and the tools they need to grown their own food.
Youth Grow— This program aims to inspire future environmental stewards through hands-on learning in schools K-12. Through garden clubs, cooking and garden exploring kits and classes, children learn about the biodiversity of nature, connect with their communities and increase enthusiasm for fruits and vegetables.
Lettuce Grow— This program provides hands-on educational learning experiences for incarcerated adults and youth all around Oregon. The classes offered, ranging from culinary arts, greenhouse management and sustainable gardening, give inmates the skills, tools and hope to help them find employment after release. Via growinggardens.org: "More than1236 inmates have graduated from our Sustainable Gardening. Upon successful competition of the Sustainable Gardening class, our students receive a Certificate of Home Horticulture, a recognized Oregon job credential. The Oregon Department of Corrections recognizes Lettuce Grow as one of the most successful and cost-effect programs offered to inmates. While the inmate recidivism rate in the United States is over 70% and in Oregon about 30%, the Lettuce Grow student’s rate is 4%.”
Why gardens?
Working in gardens has therapeutic value
Thats why so many of us turned to gardening through the pandemic! Gardens and green space have been shown to improve mood, reduce blood pressure, pulse rate and muscle tension. Many folks also report the sense of pride that is felt when they harvest food they grew themselves.
Gardens teach patience and compassion
Growing plants is not always as simple as throwing seeds in the ground and walking away. Gardens take tending to, and even a little problem solving. You are constantly working with the elements, and adjusting to the plants needs. I find this analogous to the healing process in our body. While we may be looking for that one treatment or therapy to improve or “cure” our condition, more often than not, the process of healing is not linear. It takes time to find what resonates, and even then we must adjust to the changing dynamics of our internal and external world. Since we are all unique individuals, what works for one person, may not for another. A technique thats used for a cactus wont work for a fern, right? This teaches us patience and compassion for the healing process of ourself and others.
Gardens help us live with the seasons
Most grocery stores don’t mirror a typical growing season. We can find whatever food we want, whenever we want. While this is convenient, this ultimately disconnects us from the cyclical nature of the seasons. When we work in a garden, we begin to understand how seasons influence biological processes in plants. We also develop more appreciation for the process, care and effort it takes to grow food.
In Chinese medicine, each season brings an energy that is not only reflected in the plants, but also in our body. For example, in the spring, many patients report feeling angsty, irritated and a strong desire for change. Chinese medicine also notices this energy within the seedling that is just about to burst from below the earth’s surface to above ground. We also see this in winter when most plants are hibernating, a signal from the season to slow down and rest. Gardening helps us pay attention to our internal landscape with every season. You may even begin to welcome each season for its unique energetic make up. This helps ameliorate any feelings of guilt if we want to rest, or feel irritated. You are in alignment with the season!
How do I get involved?
Getting involved is as simple as receiving care. When you schedule a treatment at Well Forest Acupuncture, you can feel good knowing you are not only making a conscious decision that will benefit your health, but also the health of your community. If you feel like getting your hands in the soil, keep an eye open for in-person volunteer opportunities through the Growing Gardens website. At this time in-person activities are limited, as Growing Gardens has pivoted to online learning due to the pandemic.
Learn more about Growing Gardens here!
With care,
Kecia Fox, MSOM, LAc