Taking care of the garden or vegetable garden, even on the balcony, is good for your health. Not only because in this way you have your own production of fruit, vegetables, aromatic plants or even flowers as a beautiful ornament for the house, absolutely under control, possibly organic and zero kilometer, but also because, it has been shown by scientific studies, it improves mood and fights anxiety (Soga et al, Prev Med rep, 2017). A Japanese study reported that observing plants even acts on the electrical activity of the brain, reduces stress, fears, lowers blood pressure and muscle tension (Thompson et al, Clin Med, 2018). The famous Italian psychiatrist Raffaele Morelli often advises to take care of a plant because in this way the fears and agitations are removed and are replaced by free, light and creative mind. Just what you need in a period like what we are experiencing. Everyone can take care of the vegetable garden and today it is also possible to order the plants directly form the shop and then to replant them into the pots at home. But let's see some advice about the plants to grow in this period.
Basil
Bring the cheerful scent and the healing power of basil into your home. In fact, when added fresh to dishes, salads, vegetables and sauces, this plant brings calcium, iron and vitamin C (FDA Database), but also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances (Li et al, J Food Sci Technol, 2017). Basil fears the cold, therefore, in this period, it is a good idea that the pot is brought into the house during the night. As for the waterings, these should be regular and frequent because basil does not like dry soil, however, not exaggerate with the amount of water.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a plant that cannot be missing in the garden or on the balcony, it is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-tumor (de Oliveira et al, J Biomed Sci, 2019). Rosemary is a healthy ingredient of different dishes, such as pasta with cannellini beans, pesto with radish leaves or pasta with herbs, all recipes that you can find in the Healthy food section. Moreover, rosemary is also used in different cosmetics to fight aging processes and skin wrinkles, for example you can find some DIY ideas in the articles we have published, for example the celestial water or the beauty masks that come from the garden. Rosemary is one of the easiest plants to grow and has the advantage of being perennial, so it does not need to be replaced every year. After the first year of life, in which rosemary requires constant watering, then it can also live only from the humidity of the air and should be wet only in case of very hot days.
Common daisies
Not only edible plants, fruits and vegetables but also flowers! An excellent idea in this period is to cultivate the common daisies, or bellis perennis with large, pompon like, cheerful and fragrant flowers that bring a lot of color in gardens and balconies. The daisies do not cost much and resist the cold. They should be watered regularly with the precaution to also nebulize them in the hottest days in summer.
