Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - 61

SINGING IN THE GARDEN

You can bury a
lot of troubles
by digging in
the dirt.
- unknown

TEXT AND ART BY GINNY NEIL

Edging up to Happiness
I read a
2007 study
that points
to specific
microbes in
garden soil
that stimulate
production of
serotonin.

Spring is the time for
digging. I always
thought it made
me happy because it
gave me an excuse to be
outside while I exercised. Then, I read
a 2007 study that points to specific microbes in garden soil that stimulate production of serotonin. Serotonin is "happy juice" for the soul. According to the
research, the microbes enter through
skin pores, or small cuts, or we breathe
them in whenever we handle dirt. It
doesn't take them long to travel to our
brains and help us feel happier.
While digging beds in the spring
gives me joy, edging them has historically created the exact opposite effect. My first year of
gardening, I decided that rocks would be perfect for the
job. I drove out to the river and gathered a truck bed
full of flat ones then laid them, like a parade of turtles,

along all my borders. My intent was
to create an edge I could drive a wheel
over as I cut the grass, but the road to
lawn mower ruination is paved with
river rocks. The flattest ones were soon
covered in sod, while their taller cousins
spent the summer knocking chunks out
of my mower blade.
My next attempt at edging involved
the plastic variety found at big box
stores. It promised to keep the grass at
bay, so I spent a weekend driving the
flimsy pieces into the ground with a
rubber mallet. The beds looked lovely
for the first five weeks. That's how long
it took me to flatten the border with the
lawn mower wheels. I am a distracted
driver and soon most of the plastic had been chopped
to shrapnel and flung out to the far corners of my yard.
My dog began digging foxholes whenever the mower
growled to life.
May/June 2018 61



Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018

Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - 4
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Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - 66
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2018 - Cover4
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