Before Lyme disease, I was an avid gardener. My yard reflected this with small areas of shrubs herbs, flowers and a vegetable garden that fed us all summer and fall. Now I focus on container gardening. I focus on growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
I work hard to reconnect to the things I love in my life on my recovery journey. Keep the activities that light you up independent of Lyme disease. It is imperative not to lose your identity to your illness. While growing herbs and food needs to stay part of my life, now I want a little less labor and bending over.
I use tick bite protection strategies to keep doing what I love outdoors, feel good, and stay safe from Lyme disease reinfection. Now, I want to protect myself from coronavirus as well. Spring is here, and I hear the call to connect to the growing energy of the season. My answer for gardening and growing food has been to shift to container gardening on my back deck.
Container Gardening
Containers are a way to create a garden that is easier to manage. You either have to cobble together, build or buy your planters. Building means you can have whatever size you need to fit your spot. Pay attention to the height, and be sure to choose the height you need to make things easy. You can eliminate working on your knees, or bending over with the right choice. There are many free internet plans to build an elevated container garden.
If you are not up to or interested in a construction project as part of gardening, buy your planters. Chose what veggies and yield you want to harvest. You still need to build up the soil and create drainage to support growth in all but the hay bails. Be aware that larger containers require assembly upon receipt, so you might still have some work to do before you can plant anything. You can grow in pots, bags or elevated boxes, and even hay bales
Pay attention to what grows in the container conditions you create. Plant veggies that grow and play well together in the same container, and give the plants room to grow. Containers often require more regular watering than a back yard garden, but you can buy self-watering planters if this is an issue for you.
3 Key Ways Using Planters Will Help You Get Your Hands Back into the Dirt
- A container garden on a deck or porch keeps you mostly away from ticks and other bugs
- Planters are much easier to take care of in terms of weeding and fertilizing; no bending or squatting required.
- Containers on your deck are just a few steps away, easy to pick fresh herbs and veggies as you need them.
Growing food and medicinal herbs give me joy. I plan to keep gardening in my life for many years. I invite you to keep the hobbies you love alive in your life, independent of Lyme disease.
The purpose of this website and its contents is to share and educate on Lyme disease recovery strategies. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment, or advice. All the material here is for information purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team.