In this Edition
- Events in Douglas County
- Health in the Garden
- Garden Activites for the Season
- Master Gardener Program Info
About the Newsletter
The Master Gardener Volunteers of Douglas County provide horticulture information on gardens, landscapes, plants and other related topics. This newsletter of April 2023 is one of the many resources of information available to the public to help accomplish this mission.
Upcoming Events & Classes Spring 2023
April 2023 – Beginning Vegetable Gardening, Wednesday @6:00-7:30 pm. Cost $45. Registration Required - Sold Out
April 8, 2023 – Rose Talk @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Cost Free. Welcome to All
May – October 2023 – Heritage Park Garden Q&A Sessions, Wednesdays @ 5:30-6:30 pm. Cost Free. Location: Heritage Park Garden 1461 Ezell St, Gardnerville, NV. Topics vary week to week. Welcome to All.
June – October 2023 – Dangberg Historic Home Ranch Garden Talks, 3rd Wednesday of the month @ 5:30-6:30 pm. Topics varies week to week. Welcome to All.
June – September 2023 – Dangberg Historic Home Ranch Gertrude’s Garden Workdays- Monday and Wednesday @ 9:00 – 10:00 am. Please join us keep Gertrude’s Garden looking Great! Welcome to All.
LINK TO FURTHER INFORMATION
Health in the Garden
The University of Nevada, Reno Master Gardener Intern Ingrid Angelini is always looking out for ways for all of us to stay healthy. Here are some of her tips and why gardening will help you stay healthy.
Gardening can benefit us in 3 ways: It can add to our strength, balance our emotional state, and sharpen our mental abilities.
Moving around in the garden, making sure the wildlife is being kept at bay, checking on plant health, soil moisture, plucking off tomato hornworms or deterring ants keeps you moving, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that that burns more calories than being a couch potato. It is well known that an active lifestyle reduces the incidence of obesity and high blood pressure, for example.
Other benefits which have been proven include a reduction in the incidence of osteoporosis and stroke, a reduction in the level of the stress hormone, Cortisol, and exposure to the healthy bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae. This organism Mycobacterium vaccae (species name is derived from the Latin word for cow, vacca, not vaccine), it resides in the soil, from where diffuses into the air. We inhale it when we are outdoors. It has been found to increase Serotonin levels in our bodies. Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters, chemicals which exist between nerve cells and conduct electrical impulse from one nerve cell to the next. When the Serotonin that is secreted when we’re exposed to that good bacteria in the soil we feel less anxious. It also contributes to strengthening our immune system,
We all probably know that intense physical activity will foster deep sleep, but even light physical activity, while gardening, can lead to a better night’s rest. University research has proven that you can simultaneously enjoy yourself in the garden, and also work all the major muscle groups: legs, buttocks, arms, shoulders, neck, back and abdomen. Those gardening tasks which use these muscles increase strength and burn calories. Some activities of gardening exert and stretch muscles, for example, when one reaches for weeds or tall branches, bends to plant or extends a rake. Resistance training, similar to weight lifting, comes from lifting a 2 cubic foot bag of whatever, pushing wheelbarrows and shoveling, all of which leads to increasing the health of bones and joints. Albeit with little or no body stress or jarring, which one would experience by jogging or doing aerobics
Other research has also found that gardening, can reduce the risk of colon cancer and premature death, and notes that exercising both the arms and legs helps to prevent afflictions such as coronary disease. (That’s almost a no-brainer.)
Examining the physical aspects of what we are doing when we’re gardening, we find that tasks using hand tools, such as those for digging, planting and weeding, strengthen the muscles in the fingers, hands, forearms, and to some extent, the upper arms. Using a shovel, hoe or rake is going to involve the entire body: hands, arms, shoulders, back, abdomen, buttocks, legs, and feet. Activities like those will benefit muscle groups in all those areas.
Even more so, when we’re engaged in more intense activities, like pushing a wheelbarrow with a load of compost or soil amendment. It has been shown that gardening rates up there with other moderate to strenuous forms of exercise, but it all depends on what gardening task you are doing and for how long. Walking is considered to be moderate to vigorous exercise. It can be more of a stroll, but it can also be ramped up, for those who are in good shape. Otherwise, it may not be as aerobic as shoveling, hoeing or raking, but being able to be outdoors, provides a certain level of cardiovascular benefits as mentioned earlier.
By Ingrid Angelini
Garden Activity for the Season
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Garden Activity for the Season
Author Patty Sanborn
University of Nevada, Reno Master Gardener Intern Patty Sanborn is always looking for ways for us to get out into the garden at any time of the year, even if it is just painting rocks. Try this fun garden activity she has shared today.
Garden Markers
While we are waiting for the right time to plant how about a garden project to keep you going?
· Start with clean, dry rocks. Flat rocks are easiest to work with. They do not have to be shaped like the plant you want to mark.
· Acrylic craft paint and brushes (if you use matte paint, you will need to use a sealer to keep the paint from washing off. A spray-on sealer should be applied after the paint is dry.
· White or black paint marker with a small enough tip to write and outline.
· Paint the rock with the approximate shape and color of the vegetable or flower of your choice.
· Outline with the paint marker and write the name of the plant on the rock.
Note: you do not have to be a great artist to get great results – the most important thing about a project like this one is that you enjoy yourself. Have fun!
Master Gardener Program
University of Nevada, Reno Master Gardener Program Logo
LINK TO FURTHER INFORMATION...
Do you like to learn new things and share them with your community? Become a Master Gardener Volunteer in your community. Enrollment for classes opens Spring 2023 and classes begin August 2023. For more information, please contact Jessica Gardner at jessicagardner@unr.edu or 775-782-9960 for more info regarding the Douglas County Master Gardener Program
We hope to see you in the garden!
