Page 24 - The Villager September 2021
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Lifestyle




















































             tHe SeCretS our garDenS HolD




                                                      BY MICHeLLe L. RAYMOND


               t is that time of year again. The birds are building their   here  is  what  the  medical  journals  are  saying  about  the
               nests, trees are bearing new leaves, and new buds   power of connecting our feet to the earth:
            Iare sprouting, all in preparation for the abundance of   Grounding (earthing) has an effect on inflammation,
            summer.                                            the immune response, wound healing, and the prevention
              It is also a great time to get stuck into the garden, clear   and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune
            out the old and dead and make space for the new.   diseases.*
              Of course, gardening is more than just adhering to the
            standards of the HOAs and keeping up appearances.  To   Secret 2 – Bees, Birds and Bugs
            many, gardening is a way of connecting to a tiny piece of   We have all heard about the importance of bees and their
            nature. Not only can a garden produce an aesthetically   role in the ecosystem. It is easier, I suppose, to market
            pleasing environment, but it also holds a few secrets – if we   how  important bees  are because  of what  they  produce:
            are willing to pay attention.                      honey – the sweet by-product of hard work, dedication
                                                               and brilliant organisation – qualities that are so admirable
            Secret 1 – Grounding                               to us humans. But what about the ants, the chafer beetles,
            This is a fancy word for walking or standing barefoot on the   the earthworms and the woodlice? They, too, play a vital
            earth. The benefits to our well-being that science shows is   role in the delicate balance of nature, and their systems are
            extraordinary – not that I need peer-reviewed papers to   equally extraordinary. Maybe one day, through biomimicry
            convince me. The feeling I get from having the grass or sand   or entomology, we will learn their secrets as well and then
            beneath my feet is evidence enough for me. Nonetheless,   appreciate them for it.


             22  •  Issue 9  2021  •  The Villager
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