LINCOLN COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER

Lincoln County Medical Center’s Employee Garden: Growing Health and Wellness Year-Round

Are you wondering why Lincoln County Medical Center is talking about gardening in February? In the middle of winter, we look forward to the return of Spring. Many of you that have used the hospital services over the last two years have likely seen our Employee Garden area at the front of the hospital.

This garden creates a beautiful green space that not only produces food for our staff, but it also offers an opportunity for our staff to take a minute for themselves while at work. Beyond the benefits of the food produced, gardening also has numerous health benefits.

In a 2011 study, researchers exposed study participants to a stressful activity. Then they asked half the group to spend time quietly reading and the other half to spend time gardening. When researchers tested the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies, they found that the gardening group had recovered from the stress better than the reading group. The gardening group also reported that their moods had returnedto a positive state — while fewer of the readers had. Another study in 2014 found that horticultural therapy, using gardening to improve mental health, may be an effective treatment for people with dementia.

Gardening on the mountain is often perceived as too difficult. Although challenging, the LCMC Employee Garden shows what can happen with a little bit of effort. Start with a pot on your porch. Anyone who likes tomatoes knows that nothing beats a home-grown, ripe tomato.