Among my family, the adage “grow where you’re planted” is taken literally. It’s not just good advice; it’s the fond memory of kicking muddy boots off on the porch, and Hot Wheels cars racing along dirt tracks in the big garden.

It’s my (then) five-year old’s excitement when we finally got to uproot our rainbow carrots and admire their colors. It’s the sight of him driving his mini tractor to our blueberry bushes first thing in the morning, and his curiosity as he watched the harmless snakes, frogs, and spiders that shared our yard. 

Not so long ago, we had a lot of room to grow; Five whole acres of it. 

At our previous duty station in Mississippi, we bought a farmhouse on five acres, surrounded by woods on all sides. We put down a lot of roots in those four years, both literally and figuratively. We had a big garden next to the pasture, and three raised garden beds closer to the house.

We grew dozens of tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumber in 5-gallon buckets that lined the walkway to the front porch. We had fruit trees and bushes, and we added native pollinator plants from our local arboretum to feed the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. 

From the age of 3 to 7, my son grew up with gardens to tend (and to play in), and with livestock to care for. His responsibilities grew from collecting eggs and watering plants, to helping me muck coops and stalls, and eventually to feeding and watering some of the animals on his own.

Sometimes he pulled weeds with me; more often he played alongside me as I toiled along the rows, grumbling to myself in the summer heat of the Deep South. But even then, it was worth it.

Few things cleared my mind and uplifted my spirit like time spent in the garden. 

There is rapidly increasing evidence that gardening is incredibly beneficial to our mental and physical health. It can ease stress and anxiety, and lighten mood (according to the Mayo Clinic).

The premise of Green Care has sprung up in countries around the world, which focuses on therapeutic care derived from being in green spaces, caring for plants, and even interacting with farm animals such as horses (National Institute of Health).

In counties like Japan, the practice of Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing, has become mainstream in preventative healthcare. Studies show immersion in a forest landscape improves sleep quality, focus, and manages stress (from Japan National Tourism Organization).

The best part about gardening, especially to those of us living the active-duty military lifestyle, is that you can do it virtually anywhere. 

Admittedly, some places make it easier than others. On the island of Guam, our current duty-station, we live in on-base housing with a small yard. Typhoons in the wet season (which lasts half the year) make gardening especially difficult. If the high winds and blazing sunshine don’t kill the plants, then the rot from the constant rain and humidity likely will.

I can hardly bear to compare the few grow-bags of vegetables we have right now to the golden memory of those 5 acres we once had. 

Despite the massive downsize, we enjoy the vegetables we manage to grow on the island. My daughter greets our orb spiders and praying mantises every morning after we put her big brother on the school bus.

She and my son are excited to pick our tomatoes and eggplant.  We are a part of a CSA (community supported agriculture), and get fresh produce from Guam farmers twice a month. We’ve been able to try tropical varieties of fruits and vegetables, often unique and not what we were used to in the states. 

Though our island garden is small, it still brings us joy and improves our well-being, which is a more than fair trade for the bit of work involved.

To truly “grow where you’re planted,” you must make the most of what you have, and do your best to turn it into something beautiful. I promise that it will circle back around to you, in the end. 

If you haven’t gotten your hands in the dirt lately, I highly recommend it.

Find varieties of plants and flowers that grow well in your area (you can look up your gardening zone by zip code on the USDA website).

If you’re like me and live in a rental or base housing, 5-gallon buckets and grow bags are good alternatives to in-ground gardening, they’re easy to maintain and move around. If vegetables are too intimidating, try native flowers that will feed the pollinators and bring some beauty to your yard or patio.

If you think you have a black thumb and can only send plants to their afterlife, try planting some hardy succulents in colorful pots. Wherever you go, there’s room to try new things.

Wherever you go, there’s room to grow. 

*To read more of Kaci’s work, visit her M:M Author Page.