Lismore Garden Club News

Seeking inner peace? Look no further than your garden. Research from the Texas A & M University has found that green space has a direct effect on our health. When patients’ rooms had a view of hospital gardens, they recovered faster from surgery, had shorter hospital stays and needed fewer painkillers. The team also found that showing patients photos of nature reduced blood pressure in five minutes or less.

Nature stops us worrying and obsessing over detail, according to environmental psychologist Clare Cooper-Marcus.

“Gardens create a state of ‘diffused awareness’ rather than focused attention. All our senses – sight, smell etc – are aroused making us aware of our surroundings,” she said. “This relaxes our mind and restores our ability to pay attention when we return to work.”

Gardening also provides enough exercise to keep older adults in shape. And the benefits don’t stop there, say researchers at Kansas State University.

“As we age, we lose our hand strength,” Candice Shoemaker, an Associate Professor of Human Ecology at the university’s Centre on Ageing said. “Gardening involves a lot of hand work. Older adults who are gardeners definitely have better strength and pinch force.”

The Lismore Garden Club ‘Christmas in July’ banquet at the Lismore Workers last Thursday night was a huge success. Thanks must go to the Workers Club chef and catering team, the Garden Club’s team that organised the dinner and the 37 members that attended and had a fantastic time. The Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at 1pm at the Lismore Workers Club. For information phone Rosemary on 6629 3353.

Finally: “Man doesn’t live by bread alone. He needs buttering up once in a while.”

Happy gardening

Ron Burns