Every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. CDT, Morning Show host Jill Riley connects with experts and local personalities for some real talk about keeping our minds and bodies healthy — from staying safe in the music scene, to exercising during a pandemic, to voting and civic engagement. Looking for more resources and support? Visit our friends at Call to Mind, MPR's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health.

Today, Jill Riley interviews master gardener Julie Weisenhorn, who talks about how spending time with nature can help our minds and bodies.

I'm really happy to have Minnesota native Julie Weisenhorn on the show. She holds a Master's degree in visual communication and horticulture from the University of Minnesota, where she taught landscape design and served as state director of the extension master gardener program. She also coordinates and appears on the popular WCCO radio Smart Gardens show. She has been on with Kerri Miller on MPR News. And now on The Current. Julie, good morning.

Morning, Jill. I'm happy to be here. This is great.

Julie, I will say just personally with my own garden, I really let it go in years prior, and I have maintained my garden better than I ever have. And I think it just has something to do with the extra time on my hands.

I am in the same boat. Usually at this time during the summer, I'm often taking care of other gardens on campus and working with volunteers. And this year being at home, my garden looks pretty darn good and so do my houseplants as well. So, I'm in the same boat as you.

And it's kind of neat at this time of year, finally kind of able to reap the benefits of the squash and the tomatoes. And you know, Julie, I was thinking back to even back in March when people were talking about planting victory gardens and now being able to really enjoy the experience of growing.

Yeah, absolutely. I think that there's something to be said for having success in a garden. So we talk to a lot of new gardeners, people who have never grown a thing in their life; they might have their first apartment or their first house, or they have time to do it now. And one of the things I really feel strongly about is giving people information and helping them be successful, even with a tomato plant or a squash plant or an herb plant. When people get that first success under their belt, they are off and running and next thing you know, they're calling you and then looking up lots of great information, and they've got lots of excellent questions. So I think that's the key. And this year has been very good for that because people have been home and able to attend to those plants.

And Julie, I've just kind of learned by trial and error. If something doesn't work out, okay, fine. And then if it does work out, the next year, even better, gives you something to be really proud of. But what are some of those tips you find giving people that are trying to grow that tomato plant for the first time?

I think the most important thing is to read about the plant and learn about how it grows, the conditions that it needs to grow in. If you try to put a tomato plant into a shady spot, or in shallow soil, you're not going to have very good tomatoes, your plant is going to really suffer. And so understanding, first of all, how to plant the plant, what kinds of conditions it should grow in, how much water it needs, does it like to be drier or does it really need to be pretty moist most of the time? And then how to care for it: does it need to be fertilized on a regular basis, or is this a plant that really doesn't need a lot of extra nutrients? There's some plants that are tougher in the landscape and really don't do well with a lot of care. But then there are others, like tomatoes, that need to be really taken care of throughout the season. So understanding about the plant is really important and the conditions. That's gonna set you up for success.

So success makes us feel good. Especially during this time: the global pandemic. Growing things, having to care for something other than yourself, it can be very good for our minds. And then pulling weeds is actually good for our bodies, even though my hamstrings hurt really bad the next day. So what are some more of those benefits to gardening when it comes to our mental and physical health?

I think certainly just being outside and fresh air, and then also getting vitamin D from the sun is important. And mentally, it's seeing things grow. There's a very deep need in humans to be in nature and to be out in nature and engaged in it. And so any time, even if it's an urban backyard, it doesn't have to be out in the middle of a national forest, though that's another great way to get connected with nature. But even in your own backyard or a park nearby, just being out in that green space really helps our psyche, helps you sleep better at night, lowers your stress level. And then also you're learning all the time when you're gardening.

I'm on the line with Julie Weisenhorn for this edition of The Current's Wellness Wednesday, and we're talking plants, we're talking growing, we're talking about the benefits. It's not even just about growing your own food, but the benefits of taking care of something. And using it as a coping mechanism. And Julie, I imagine that there are a few folks listening right now and going, "well, did I miss the boat on this? I would like to try growing something. Do I have to wait until next spring?" What can people do right now?

People can try growing herbs. Herbs grow fairly well indoors, especially things like parsley, or cilantro. Also rosemary can be grown indoors, basil too. You just need a sunny window, and you can purchase seeds by ordering them online or you might have a garden center near you where you could go pick those up. So starting some seeds is always a great way to get an indoor garden going. And then also, don't don't dismiss the indoor plants, the house plants, the beautiful orchids and and some of the plants that we can grow for foliage; it just makes your house so much happier and just creates a warmer condition where you're you're feeling like you're connected with nature, even if the snow is on the ground. There are also things that you can grow. There's a lot of grow systems that you can buy with a light and a grow basin and the soil and everything comes in a package. And you can try those too. They don't take up much room. They don't use a lot of electricity: most of them are LEDs. And that's another way that people can be doing some indoor gardening as we move into the fall.

Just make sure you keep it legal, everybody, okay?

Transcribed by Caleb Brennan