Page 24 - The Villager September 2021

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