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R U addicted to gardening like Britney?

Posted on May 5th, 2009 – 10:13 AM
By Connie Nelson
britney_spears.jpg

Brit gets to garden in Zone 9.
R U jealous?

Word is Britney Spears has turned to horticultural therapy to cure her addictions. Guess she’s tried (and passed on) counseling, yoga, even mysticism. Now she’s into gardening. She’s said to be in her California garden when she’s not on tour. And reading “Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul” when she is.

I’m into gardening, too, but I don’t count on it to cure me of my constant craving for chocolate. I do count on it for a darn good workout (especially when I’m dividing massively overgrown ornamental grasses like I am now). It also gives me an excuse to be outside (and to ignore my housework). And it does something even better: It gives me a visceral appreciation for things. It makes me notice.

I see the buds get fat and ready to burst. I watch how a hosta pushes its tips up through the dirt. How a Japanese painted fern unfurls. And that changes how I feel about the world. I’m in awe of the simple miracles in my own back yard. 

I guess gardening calms me down — but only until I realize that the bunnies have eaten all the buds off my azalea, that the two of the six weigela I planted aren’t coming back (and I lost the reciept), that the creepy phlox that looked crappy when I bought it last spring really did die last fall. 

Gardening can be frustrating, time consuming, expensive, exhausting. Of course, it’s rewarding or we wouldn’t do it. But do you use it to, say, keep yourself from gambling or smoking cigarettes?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 10:13 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

11 Responses to "R U addicted to gardening like Britney?"

mnmom says:

May 5th, 2009 at 11:10 am

I’m with you, Connie. Wonderful observations. Gardening can teach you to accept and appreciate. Last season I was fuming about three expensive baskets of gold that looked like hell all season. This spring, up they came and are exactly what I had hoped for. And like kids, a garden constantly signals the passage of time, something you can underestimate when you are so busy. No living thing has all that much time to bloom and thrive. I think Brittany may already know that, though.

Debw says:

May 5th, 2009 at 11:12 am

I won’t confess to any additions but being out where growing things has cured many cases of grumpy disposition.
Somehow sitting in the dirt, finding hard working worms, evicting the interloping weeds, breaking up the dirt, it all seems to slow down the fast paced, get them before they get you attitude that one runs into out and about.
Slowing down, watching bumblebees, looking even at the tiny flowers on the creeping charley (just before you rip it out of the ground), smells, it all brings things back into focus that we are not THE biggest thing, it all weaves together to work.

katyk says:

May 5th, 2009 at 11:20 am

Gardening is something my mom passed down to me, and I’m trying to get my boys interested in.
I definitely use gardening to keep me busy instead of watching tv or eating!
It’s very rewarding to nurture seeds into seedlings and watch them grow into fruit bearing plants. It’s expensive but I think its worth it.

Mike says:

May 5th, 2009 at 11:27 am

I find gardening very relaxing, especially after a long day at work and hectic commute. There is nothing better than getting home and tending my garden.

Robyn Dochterman says:

May 5th, 2009 at 11:40 am

Gardening…is my addiction. At least, it’s the one I’m claiming.

Connie Nelson says:

May 5th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

KatyK, I think it’s really cool you’re trying to get your kids into gardening. My mom was a great gardener, but I was never interested. I wish I’d been able to learn from her.

Peter Hoh says:

May 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

I’m addicted to gardening. What’s my rehab going to look like?

DebW says:

May 5th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

I hooked my daughter on gardening by letting her eat what ever she grew in “her” section. She still thinks peas are best eaten vineside in the garden.

Charlene DeStefano says:

May 5th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

I find gardening better than a psychiatrist or any antidepressant. When I walk thru my garden I feel calm, happy and peaceful.

What is a better way to start gardening than buying plants from the gardens of Master Gardeners.

Hennepin County Master Gardener Plant Sale is happening Saturday, May 30, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Hopkins Pavilion
11000 Excelsior Blvd., Hopkins, 55343

Come celebrate spring and the beginning of a new gardening season with us! Buy beautiful plants for sun or shade at great prices. Plants are grown by Master Gardeners with tender loving care to ensure they are healthy. Master Gardeners will answer your gardening questions and provide helpful information on the plants you purchase.

We will accept cash or checks only, please. Bring a wagon or cart. You’ll want to buy lots of plants!

Proceeds from this sale benefit Hennepin County Master Gardener community programs.

For more information on this sale and the Hennepin County Master Gardener Program, visit our website at, http://www.mg.umn.edu, or call our office at 612-596-2130.

laura says:

May 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am

gardening helps with my anxiety. i’m definitely more calm and able to handle the curve balls life throws at me when i have my garden to focus on.

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