Spring is around the corner and many of us are itching to see something green and growing. What is it about plants that make us feel so good and have a better outlook on life? As a graduate student in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, I think I have come up with some answers.
First of all, as we are slightly sun deprived here in middle Ohio, we bask in the growing daylength and warmer temperatures. As we get outside, even just walking around a garden gives us a lift. There is something to that. Exercise is known to promote a feeling of well–being. Those of us who relish getting dirt under our nails know that digging around can be a good workout. It has been shown that a 180–pound person can work off as much as 200 calories in 30 minutes of hard work digging, planting and weeding.
Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress. In the pursuit of our degrees or career advancement, stress can be a real problem. By getting out into a garden to work or enjoy, we give ourselves a chance to reconnect with a basic need to be close to creation. We can see a picture that is bigger than us and transcends across time. Gardening can be highly life affirming and calming. Many people report having a feeling that is akin to a spiritual experience. Planting something like a tree affirms our faith in the future and acknowledges generations yet to come.
So how can we receive all these benefits if we are busy and have no place to garden at home? Here on Ohio State’s main campus is the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens (CALG). It comprises 60 acres of land divided into three main areas. It is found on the west side of campus around the agriculture buildings. A short hop on the CABS bus drops you off right in the midst of it.
In the area surrounding Howlett Hall, Kottman Hall and Parker Food Science buildings, you will find a gorgeous display of mixed annual, perennial and woody ornamental plants. This area is termed the Learning Gardens because here you will find students in horticulture, plant pathology and natural resources making use of it for their classes. But you will also find staff, faculty and visitors enjoying the tranquil beauty that surrounds them.
You will also find this peaceful atmosphere across the street at the Lane Avenue Gardens. Here, the tranquility is more prevalent — maybe more so than in the riotous colors and activity of the Learning Gardens. You will find a meditative labyrinth, modeled after the famous labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France that was built nearly 800 years ago. There are many peaceful benches under stately trees to relax on as well.
Finally, if you really want peace and quiet, there is the Colour Columbus Native Tree Collection behind the 4-H Building across from the Schottenstein Center. Here you can enjoy quiet trails and abundant wildlife. There is a pond and the whisper of the wind through the reeds is enough to make you forget your worries.
It is enough just to experience these garden gems right here on our campus, but for a more complete experience, volunteer opportunities abound. The staff of CALG always welcomes a hand in the gardens and not only will you reap the physical and mental benefits, but you will be giving back to the many others who also experience the gardens. It has been most rewarding for me to see students, faculty, staff and visitors out in the gardens, commenting on their loveliness. I know that I was able to help in making the visitors' day a bit more beautiful and less stressful and that is worth a lot! Come see me in the gardens this spring and summer and if you’d like, pull a weed or two with me. I guarantee that you’ll feel better.
For more information and directions, please visit http://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu or contact me at mckelvey.11@osu.edu. |
