Why spend time in the garden?

by Jens Molbak

After years of going fast in the business world, I took a pause in 2001 to slow down and figure out what was next. To my great surprise, I became a plant retailer and a local farmer too.

I run Molbak's Garden + Home, the 10 acre Woodinville garden center that my parents started in 1956. The farmer part comes in since we grow many of our plants on our 40 acre Plant Farm just north of Redmond.
 
I was not much of gardener in 2001. Having grown up working in the family business, I was kicked out at 16 to get some "other work experience". Plants were work to me because, well, it was work. As a ten year old, I washed 28,000 slimy, algae-covered clay pots for a penny each. (Mom says that is how I learned the value of a penny). Weeding meant all day outside in cold rain. Watering was hanging onto the end of hose for hours. Gardening fun and enjoyment were not part of my vocabulary.

So in 2001, as the new owner of Molbak's, I asked myself the question, "Why spend time in the garden?". I'd read that it was the number one hobby in America, but why? With so many demands on everyone's time with our over-committed, information-overloaded lifestyles, why spend it gardening?

In slowing down, I found the answers, and discovered what so many others already knew. Now, of course, I wished I started gardening in my twenties and thirties. As a convert in my forties, I can unabashedly say that I love gardens and what they do for people.

Here's why it’s great to spend time in the garden.

Increases your home value: 
Practically speaking, just imagine your house, or neighborhood street, devoid of plants, trees, lawns, flowers etc. Go ahead, make it naked. Bare dirt, mud, random weeds. Try to sell that house. Now put it all back, beautiful isn't it? Lawns, trees, roses, sun, shade, colors, and birds, oh my! A good landscape around your house is one of the best investments you can make, and you get to enjoy it too. Every single day.

Good for health and wellness: 
Grow your own fruits and veggies in the back yard, or start an herb garden in a window box container. You can have fresh basil for pizza and rosemary for roasted chicken. Herbs, carrots, beans, corn and more turn into the best salads and meals. As a kid, many of our summer meals at home were 100% out of our own garden. Have you ever tasted freshly dug potatoes, hours old? Way better than anything from the store. A garden is the input for the kitchen, the kitchen is input for your body, and your body is input for health and wellness. The healthiest and most local food you can eat is right outside your door.

Perfect for Kids and Parents: 
I have three kids and my front lawn is "Dad central", my platform to be the parent I want to be. We play, and run and jump. Red light - Green light, Frisbee, football, somersaults, stargazing, it all happen outside in the garden.  And the veggie garden is where I can teach them the "law of the farm". Plant it now, care for it, watch it grow, and enjoy the fruits of your labor later, is something that my kids don't learn from video games. I even got to talk to my teenager when he helped me plant a few peonies and rake up weeds on a quiet Spring night.

Good exercise: 
I like being outside. And the motion of gardening is good for you. Bend and stretch. Dig and lift. An hour in the garden on Saturday morning is a great way to start the day and get the juices flowing. Bring your coffee with you and when you're done, enjoy the satisfaction you get from seeing your handiwork.

No "Garden Police": 
Whether you are a beginner or way more experienced than I am, I like the idea there are no rules in gardening. It's a place to play, try new stuff, make mistakes, and try again. Mother Nature may offer a few tips along the way.  Gardens are always changing and you can try anything you want. Plant all white plants in one place. Or black ones, or tall or short, or mix up red, orange, and yellow, offset with lime green. Just discover what you like. Your garden can reflect your own style.

Great place to connect with friends and family:
Imagine eating outside on a warm summer night, talking with friends and family, sharing a glass of wine or cool glass of lemonade. Hard to imagine being in a better place. Great conversations take place outside in gardens. Somehow, the plants, and foliage and trees help set the right mood. I really like having a bench somewhere, so that it's easy to sit down with someone and just enjoy. And hearing the sound of water from a fountain or being flicked in a bird bath helps bring a garden to life.
 
An opportunity to be creative: 
Face it:  these days, how often do we get to play artist, like we did as kindergarteners? A garden is a great place to connect with your personal creativity, even if it's hardened a bit like dried clay. A little garden time will loosen it up. Color, form, shape, texture are all there. I think of it like painting with living things in three dimensions.  And time is the fourth dimension of gardening. My garden greets me every day, and every month of the year, so I want to make sure that something is always happening. Right now, my bulbs are bursting forth, rising as slow motion green-spear, purple-globe-topped fireworks that I get to watch, unhurriedly exploding from now through May.  And I am grateful for the witch hazel and hellebores that kept me company by blooming in January and February. And I'm awaiting summer to see if my ideas from last Fall's new perennial plantings pay off the way I am hoping, or if I need to rethink and play some more.
 
Good for the soul:  OK, forgive me while I stay with the soft stuff for another moment, but I really believe this. Sticking your fingers in the dirt is good for you. Try it. And what you see out of your kitchen window in the morning helps set your mood for the day. Creating  gardens -- and homes for that matter -- lets people realize their dreams in their own spaces, inside and out.  Making a space your own and a reflection of who you are, creates a space that can inspire you, touch you, move you, and make your day better so that when you go out into the world, you're a better person. At least, I think it does for me. Alright, I said enough. Laugh if you want to, but go play in the dirt first.
 
Good for the neighborhood: 
Back to the practical. I read a study done in Chicago about "re-greening" neighborhood streets. It found that planting trees and shrubs along the street lowered crime rates and increased property values. Nice two-fer. Get out and plant more trees! By the way, shouldn't the Greater Seattle area be the figuring this stuff out?  I mean, what's Chicago got on us, when it come to trees and growing things anyway?

Take care of your corner of the world: Years ago, a good friend of mine left the corporate world to become a landscape architect. I asked her why and I've never forgotten her simple answer. She said she wanted to make her little corners of the world better. Well, we all have that opportunity in our own backyards. Create some beauty and enjoy it.  And you get to be "green" to boot as your plants and trees will help clean the air.
So that's my list.  In slowing down, I discovered how great gardens and gardening are. I invite you to enjoy our Spring Garden Guide. Spring is here and it is the best time of the year to get started. I hope that my thoughts on gardening inspire you to get out there, play, and enjoy the benefits. Don't be like me and miss out on 15+ year of gardening. And if you have questions or need ideas, come visit us in Woodinville. We're ready to help you get started.

Welcome Spring

-Jens Molbak

Contact Jens Molbak at jmolbak@molbaks.com