First there was appearance maximization, then there was productivity maximization, and now we have arrived at garden maximization. Instead of trying to create a productive garden, let’s focus on creating a garden that nourishes us in every way: body, mind, spirit, and connection.
It seems like everything is being “maximized” these days. Maximize your protein, maximize your fiber, maximize your sleep, and maximize your productivity just to name a few. The goal is always the same. It’s about optimizing every aspect of your life to achieve “maximum” results.
Now that MAXXING is at the forefront of pop culture, I thought gardens should have a place too.
So I coined a new term: Garden Max Thing.
But unlike many of these productivity maximization trends, garden maximization isn’t about cramming more work into your day or chasing impossible standards. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s important to make the most of your garden in a way that feels sustainable, rewarding and fun.
Here’s how to nourish your garden and reach its full (healthy) potential.
What is the Maxxing trend?
Maxxing is a new slang term for giving your all to something. You will try your best to achieve your goals. Let’s use sleep maximization as an example.
You can buy white noise machines, silk sleep masks, earplugs, and blackout curtains just to improve your sleep, while also removing your cell phone from your room, eliminating caffeine, lowering the room temperature, and not drinking anything two hours before bed. That’s a lot.
This trend started over 10 years ago with LooksMax. It started with teenage boys and young men aiming to completely remake their appearance using everything from strict skin care routines to extreme training regimens.
The bigger problem with MAXXING as a whole is the emphasis on perfection. It takes everything to extremes and encourages unrealistic goals. As a result, they feel stressed, burnt out, and develop a negative self-image and sense of worth about not achieving their goals.
What is Garden Maxing?
With all this in mind, I’m planning on gardening this summer. And take the pressure off of being perfect in a healthier way. Exactly what the garden wants.
Yes, the garden should be beautiful. It compliments your home and increases its overall curb appeal.
But gardens can also nourish you by giving you food, medicine, and joy. It will be a quiet place to rest while enjoying the wonderful sights and scents of your surroundings.
Rather than draining our energy maintaining a perfect garden, how can we instead make the most of it to support and nourish us?
I define Garden Maxing as using the garden to maximize the joy, pleasure, and relaxation of life. We no longer focus too much on creating gardens and outdoor spaces that blend in with the neighborhood or follow traditional rules. We create gardens that work with us, exactly the way we want to use them.
How to garden – Maxx
Getting the most out of your garden requires creating a garden that requires less effort and is more in tune with nature. Gardens that fit seamlessly into and support the local ecosystem. This means less weeding, watering, pest control, planting, fertilizing, and overall maintenance.
That’s all I’m writing about garden therapy here. A great way to start making these changes is to start implementing regenerative gardening. This article (and the entire book!) will cover the basic practices and projects for transitioning to this method of gardening.
Well, here are some specific ways you can use your garden to nourish all aspects of yourself.
body
Gardens give us great physical strength. Anyone who gardens knows what a good workout it is. Just five minutes of bending over to weed can help you stay flexible and stimulate blood flow.
Going outside can help you physically relax. Nature’s mental health benefits have been extensively researched and, in turn, can help your body as well. Imagine tension being released from an overworked mind, nerves tied up from anxiety, and blood pressure rising from stress. All of these can be alleviated by walking (or sitting) lightly outdoors.
There is power in the food we grow ourselves. Especially as food prices continue to soar, eating fresh and delicious food keeps us energized. And many plants have powerful medicinal properties that can be relied on for all kinds of ailments, from colds and flu to menopause.
Here are some ways to think about your garden for your physical health.
heart
Maybe an AI could tell you how to grow something or try to diagnose what’s wrong with a plant, but trust me, you learn better by trying, failing, and growing again. Gardening can open your mind to a whole new set of critical thinking skills.
There are no quick fixes. It takes months to grow a plant, but you can really engage with everything you’re learning while caring for your plants. It forces patience and I believe it helps reset your attention span when you get outside and step away from screens.
After months of caring for your plants, you may get a harvest or finally see the long-awaited flowering. We get excited when new leaves emerge and note the changes in our garden journals. This delayed gratification is a healthier way to release dopamine than the quick hits you get while scrolling.
Here’s how I use my garden to disconnect from technology and ground myself.
spirit
When I first started gardening, it was to improve my mental health. Just getting outside for 5 minutes a day helped me regain my self-esteem and independence.
Interacting with nature and plants has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and lower stress levels. Even just touching the soil helps release serotonin as it interacts with certain soil bacteria. Or the true “harvest” euphoria we get, the dopamine-filled state we get when we harvest what we’ve grown.
We recommend reading more about gardening and mental health in the following posts:
connection
These days, it’s all about connection for me. Gardening has given me a whole community both online and in person, and it continues to grow every day.
For me, gardening is a passion that Kiddo and I share. He started gardening in the womb and as a toddler he would sit outside with me while I roamed outside. Now that he’s in his early teens, he helps me tend to the garden and create space. Now he knows the names of flowers and enjoys picking food from the garden and tending the lawn. Our shared passion brings us closer together.
I have always entertained friends and family in my garden too. I prioritize having an entertainment area and a garden that is simply enjoyable.
In our new home, a wildflower lawn helped us get to know our neighbors. I sat on the front patio drinking my morning coffee. The beauty of the wildflower lawn drew attention, questions, and ultimately helped create connections with new neighbors.
Not to mention ways to build community with fellow gardeners through community gardens, garden clubs, and social media.
Here are some ways you can reimagine your outdoor space as a community builder.
The trick to garden maxing is to reject what previous “maxings” have tried to instill: that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Gardens are a place to relax and reconnect with yourself and those around you. Don’t try to force your garden into submission, but rather let nature follow its natural course. And while you’re at it, do the same for yourself.
More gardening trends to keep up with
Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Holly is the Content Manager at Garden Therapy. She holds a BA in Writing from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Floristry Design from Burnaby CCE. At home, she loves growing cut and dried flowers for her business, Dirty Daisy Florals, and is an avid houseplant collector and bee enthusiast. You can find her at @dirtydaisyflorals and @hollyheuversocial.
