Weed Out Bad Energy

U-Pick Lavender at Hood River Lavender Farm

By Erin Peters

We are now seven months into a global pandemic and you may have figured out ways to cope and process. We are also at the point where maybe your coping mechanism is starting to lose its effectiveness. Getting out to enjoy nature or tending to a garden can be a new way for you to prioritize your wellness and shift your focus. It can also help you prevent bad energy in your life.

Public Garden at McMenamins Edgefield in Wood Village

Gardening

Gardening can help us feel grounded. During a time of trauma, like COVID-19, we feel even more out of balance. Try getting out into the dirt, buying some raised beds, and tending to plants can weed out any bad energy. 

Gardening can exercise your creativity. You can map out what plants or flowers you want, and create a space for them. It can also help your nurturing side. When you care for living things, you feel that connection and are more grounded. 

Gardening is a fantastic hobby to boost your mental health. Getting out in the sun and increasing your vitamin D will strengthen bones and help you have a healthier immune system. When you are moving around in your garden, carrying heavy materials, or shoveling mulch you are getting physical exercise, which will give you more endorphins and make you happier.

Starting a garden, or improving the one you’ve already started, will help you stay in the present moment. Rather than tuning into social media or streaming services, try getting out into nature, digging in your dirt, and caring for something real.

Composting

Take a moment to think about the amount of garbage you and your family produce on a weekly basis. Composting is a great way to cut back on waste and recycle your food scraps back into soil. It also creates a new hobby for yourself, your family, or your neighborhood. One way you can start composting on your own is by creating a worm box.

A worm box is a compost bin where you can dump your food scraps. The worms will break down your organic material and create rich, fertile soil for you to use in your garden. First, you will want to set up your box:

Rubbermaid Totes for your Worm Bin

1. Find 2 Rubbermaid totes 

2. Drill holes in the bottom of one tote so any “worm tea” (overly saturated soil) can drain

3. Nestle the tote with holes inside of the other tote 

4. Drill holes along the top rim of the inner tote for air (the part that sticks out)

5. Place the lid on top of the inner tote

Once you have your bins set up, you can start to prep for worms! Worms love shredded white paper, newspaper scraps, sawdust, cardboard, leaves, and other materials that can absorb moisture. This is called the bedding. Put any of these materials throughout your bin, along with food scraps. Remember that worms can break down fruits, veggies, and other organic materials like eggshells. They do not break down meat or fish. You can always put some soil in your bin to start it off, but the worms will be eating the food scraps and creating new, rich soil for you. 

Compost Bin with Red Wriggler Worms

Time to get the worms! Lisa the Worm Lady is a gardener here in The Dalles who sells red wrigglers to people who want to start compost bins, or who want to use the worms as bait for fishing. She has a FaceBook page, so go check it out to get your red wrigglers!

After your worms are in the bin, lay a moist layer of cardboard on top of your materials before closing the lid. This will help suppress any smells, and deter fruit flies. Make sure you place your compost bin outside in a spot that doesn’t get too hot or too cold. Keep a bowl on your counter to remind yourself to save food scraps, and then deliver them out to your worms! Make sure you continue to add bedding materials fairly regularly so the bin doesn’t get too saturated. 

Composting is a great way to recycle your food scraps into rich, fertile soil, while also cutting back on your waste. Think of the plastic garbage bags you’ll save! Plus, you are starting a new hobby and staying caring for living things.

U-Pick Activities

There are many local spots that are open for u-pick flowers right now. You can go to The Gorge White House and pay a small amount to pick flowers that will brighten up your day. Hood River Lavender Farms is another location where you can pick a bundle of lavender. This not only gives you an outing, but also a chance to be creative with how you use it! Drying the lavender, baking with it, making lavender lemonade, etc. can be fun ways to try something new.

There are also u-pick apples, pears, strawberries, etc. at different locations along the Fruit Loop around highway 35. Walking along orchards as the weather changes is a great way to do something for yourself. Again, this gives you a way to exercise your brain to create a new recipe, enjoy some fresh fruit, and be present while you are grounded in the outdoors. 

Picking fruit or flowers is a great way to get outside while still practicing the social distancing guidelines of wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, and being in an open space. Meet a friend at a u-pick location and enjoy a day of safe, social distancing with beautiful views.

Whether you are gardening, composting, going out for a day of fruit-picking, or just starting a new hobby, make sure you are having fun in a safe way. Weed out any negative energy and be open to the possibility of growth and change in a difficult time.

Dahlias Available for U-Pick at The Gorge White House