By: Kathy Hubbard
It’s finally feeling like spring. And you and I both know what that means. It’s time to put away the wooly mittens and get out our gardening gloves. Here’s the dirt. Bonner General Health’s Healing Garden (just north of the hospital) is in need of volunteers to clean up the mess Mother Nature made this winter.
Everyone is invited to come down on Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a rake, a couple of trowels, your neighbor, you know, anything that will make your job easier and don’t forget a hat, and, of course, those gloves.
“It won’t take long if we have enough people,” Kate McAlister, BGH Volunteer Coordinator said. “We don’t need plants, we don’t need yard art, we just need some helpful hands.”
There are lots of volunteer opportunities in the garden. McAlister said that the hippo needs to be fixed, so if anyone is an expert on fixing hippos, please come. Also, the arbors are in poor shape so a woodworker would be much appreciated.
“We particularly need an expert on roses, and a 50 pound bag of mulch, and the pear trees sprayed for fungus, and the pond cleaned, and I’m sure there’s more,” McAlister said.
The gardens belong to the community and are not part of the city’s parks department. It’s funded entirely on the generous donations of the public and, obviously, maintained by the public as well. So, if you can’t come on Saturday, you can still volunteer to help maintain the beautiful gardens throughout the growing season.
“We don’t need help with watering, but we do need people to do the weeding,” she said. “The garden is divided into sections with each section having a leader. We have that covered. It’s just the hands-on work that must be done.”
The National Institutes on Health says that “there is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health.” They also say that healthcare professionals should encourage their patients to work in gardens.
I’m not a healthcare provider, but I’ll still encourage everyone to come along, bring a friend, get much needed vitamin D, and have some fun knowing you’re doing a great service for hospital patients and their families who use the gardens to find comfort and peace during difficult times, and the general public who enjoy the beauty of nature by the lake.
And if your volunteering heart strings haven’t been plucked yet, let me tell you about the health benefits you receive when you garden. I’ll start with exercise. Mayo Clinic says you can burn as many calories as a workout in the gym.
“While tending a garden, you perform functional movement that mimics whole body exercise. You perform squats and lunges while weeding. Carrying bags of mulch and other supplies works large muscle groups. Digging, raking and using a push mower can be physically intense activities,” they say.
Then there’s the fact that a little sunshine in the garden goes a very long way in your body. An article on Healthline’s website says that vitamin D is essential for strengthening your bones and your immune system. “Studies have also shown that being out in the sun can help lower your risk of breast, colorectal, bladder, and prostate cancers, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple sclerosis.”
People with low vitamin D levels are at greater risk of developing psoriasis flares, type II diabetes and dementia. Dementia? Yes. “Doctors have also known for some time that exercise improves cognitive functioning the brain,” Healthline’s article said.
Gardening can boost your mood and increase your self-esteem. It can calm you after a stressful event. “In one study, researchers noted that plants provoked positive feelings in people recovering from alcohol addiction and were an effective rehabilitation tool.”
And, finally they say, “Gardening invites you to get outside, interact with other gardeners, and take charge of your own need for exercise, and beautiful surroundings.” I couldn’t say it better myself.
So, here’s the idea. You show up around 9 a.m. on Saturday, ready for work. Or you contact Kate McAlister at kate.mcalister@bonnergeneral.org to see how you can help in the future. Or you can donate much needed funds at www.bonnergeneral.org/the-healing-garden/. Okay?
Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on April 9, 2025.
