Frailty affects us all. It is usually considered an affliction of age, but it can happen any time. For the young and healthy, it is an unconsidered world. But unforeseen accidents, unexpected illness, and ill luck can rob anyone of the vitality.
It is during these dark diversions that gardens offer help. Neuroscience research has shown what our bodies already know. Gardens and green spaces change our bodies. The beauty of plants, fragrances, and sounds of nature allow overworked and stressed attention systems to find respite and recover. Physically, too, moving in the garden provides moderate aerobic exercise that can be sustained over extended periods.
But it is the life of the garden that offers greatest promise as we recover from frailty. It reminds us of the resilience within us all, evident in new buds starting alongside old injuries. It reminds us that life surrounds us and we are part of it.
Frailty may be inevitable for us all, but our gardens will still offer us beauty during these times.
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