Gardening can be life saving

With the exception of a few changes this is a re post. I first published it right after I joined Gather. This was before I got addicted to Gather. It got no comments then.

I'm getting old, overweight, blood pressure a little to high, had borderline high cholesterol about eight years ago(haven't had it checked since) and no telling what else. I'm not going to get into an exercise routine. I love eating an especially some foods which I know are not healthful. I eat way too much, especially at night. I love eating to much and get hungry to much to change.

I love gardening. I do it different than anyone else and in the long run it might be harder than other ways. It would take to long to go into all that is involved in the way I do it.

I am retired and if it was not for gardening there would be little to keep my mind or body occupied. Yes my mind too. How am I going to make the beds for the garden? What will I use to frame the beds? What am I going to use for soil and what am I going to mix with it. What kind of mulch to use and how much? How can I grow the most in the least space? What type of fertilizer? How much regular fertilizer and/or chicken fertilizer? Where to use my compost? How often do you need to water each bed? Many of these same questions also apply to the flowers and plants and trees.

My main tools are shovel and wheelbarrow, after the beds are framed. Hammer and nails until then. Trying to get the garden and lawn in shape is a full time job for me.

I can't work long at hard work. I'll work a few minutes then rest a few minutes.

Gardening (and yard work) keeps me busy a lot of the time. When I'm not actually working in the garden I'm thinking about it. What needs to be done next? Picking, watering, fertilizing, weeding, mowing (got about 3 acres cleared with about 100 trees on it, several buildings and a lot of fencing), putting top soil here, or putting chicken fertilizer there. Do I need more mulch? What will I grow where next year? I know I want to grow butter beans and some type of peas.

In beds this year I have raised bell pepper, egg plant, tomatoes, squash, two kinds of cantaloupes, honeydew melons, green onions, garlic, irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, okra and have peanuts growing. For eating I also have blueberry bushes, fig trees, a pear tree and a nectarine tree. I have just started my fall garden. All I have planted so far are collards and cabbage.

If it was not for gardening, my mind and body would probably be gone.