Gardening
Garden Your Way to Better Health
Gardening helps fight anxiety and depression while providing plenty of fresh-from-the-garden produce.
Photo credit: photo courtesy of FoxGlovesInc.com
Break out the tools and garden your way to a healthier mind, body and spirit. Gardeners know and research proves that getting outdoors, digging in the soil and gardening help strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, reduce stress and elevate our mood.
Include gardening as a major component of your workout schedule. You’ll stretch and strengthen muscles while promoting cardiovascular health and maintaining bone mass. A University of Arkansas study found that yard work as well as weight training significantly maintained bone density in women over 50.
And for those trying to lose weight, add 30 minutes of gardening to your daily or weekly routine to help shed some extra pounds. A half hour of raking burns 162 calories, weeding 182, and turning the compost pile a whopping 250. Gardening several times per week will help keep you and your landscape looking top notch.
Don’t let a lack of time, space or painful joints stop you from growing nutritious vegetables, beautiful flowers or an attractive landscape. Staying active through gardening not only increases flexibility and strengthens muscles, it helps fight anxiety and depression that arthritis sufferers and others often experience.
Those struggling with limited time, space or mobility may want to try container and elevated gardening. Both can be placed on patios, decks or balconies. Select a size and style you can easily reach and one that matches your garden design. Those on a tight budget can add drainage holes and paint 5-gallon food grade containers or nursery pots to create attractive planters.
Protect and support your hands with gloves that fit and provide support like Foxgloves’ Works gloves (foxglovesinc.com). Padding and reinforced fingertips protect your hands and knuckles from scrapes and bruises. Gloves with long cuffs or those that extend to the elbow provide added protection when working in the garden.
Select gloves that are machine washable, so you always have a clean pair ready when you venture out to the garden. Keep a pair of gloves, pruner and your favorite weeding tool in a bucket near the front or back door. You won’t waste time looking for your favorite tools plus you can take advantage of those small blocks of time to weed, deadhead or pick a bouquet of flowers to enjoy.
Enlist the help of ergonomic tools that allow you to garden longer with less pain and fatigue. Look for designs that keep your back and wrist straight when digging, pruning and raking. Select tools with soft wide grips to further reduce hand fatigue. Wrap the handles of existing tools with foam pipe insulation for added padding.
Protect your joints and muscles while gardening. Warm up, just as you would for any workout, with a few simple stretches. Protect your knees by using a stool, kneeling pad or one-legged kneel instead of squatting.
Take regular breaks. Gardening in twenty-minute intervals and resting in between to enjoy your handiwork and hydrate will pay off with less muscle strain and fatigue. You’ll then be ready for your next workout session in the garden that will invigorate your mind, body and spirit.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Foxgloves for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Antiquing During This Health Crisis
Many antique events and auctions have been canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The usual online selling and buying options are still available though, and some new opportunities have even become available.
The biggest local antique news is that the May Brimfield Antique Show has been canceled. Westernmassnews.com quoted the Head of the Brimfield Select Board who said "I think when you get 20,000 people coming from around the world, it'd be disastrous ... I think everybody is sad for it. I don't necessarily apologize for the decision because I think it's the right one.” Although this is disappointing to antique dealers and collectors, in my opinion July 2020 will be one of the best shows. Many other shows have also been canceled. Live auctions and estate sales have been put on hold. Antiques and the Arts Weekly has a long “running list” of many of the canceled events available on their website at antiquesandthearts.com.
Like many other local businesses, antique dealers, auctioneers and estate sale companies have been going online to fill the void. For example, some estate sale companies are running online only sales. Others are selling by appointment only to comply with social distancing guidelines.
Channel 7 News in Watertown, New York reported that auctioneer Don Peck Auctions has turned to Facebook Live to run his auctions which had been held live in person prior to the pandemic. Peck said that prices have increased as he has found a group of new bidders. Most buyers are from within 50 to 75 miles of his Gouverneur, NY location, but he has reached others from as far away as Florida and Las Vegas.
The pandemic has brought out the best in many. Many public figures have done exceptional things to help those affected by the COVID-19 virus. Former Ohio Buckeyes and Detroit Lions linebacker Chris Spielman is one example. The Detroit Free Press reported that he had previously donated $100 each to 8 people who were in need for the past two weeks. He is now selling some of his personal memorabilia on eBay to help those in need during this pandemic. His Ohio State Big Ten championship ring is one of his prized possessions that he is auctioning for the greater good. "This hurts to give this up, but where is it going to serve a better purpose?" Spielman said. The ring sold for $12,000 and Spielman said he will be offering more of his memorabilia.
Our company is practicing physical distancing, along with the rest of the state. If you are handling an estate or just have some items in your home that you think may be valuable and would like some guidance, we can virtually view and evaluate them. You can contact us by email or phone to schedule an appointment using Facetime, Zoom or Skype.
We are also planning an online auction in Warren, RI and an estate sale in Auburn, MA when the situation allows. Our Rutland estate farm auction will go online again as soon as possible. Please see www.centralmassauctions.com for details on these and other events. I hope all of you continue to stay safe and in good health and we can all be attending antique events together soon.
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com