Homesteading: Gardening, Cognition and Longevity
Plus my crazy week which ends with a trip to the White House!
The last four days have been brutal. We flew to Manchester, England, via Dublin Airport on Saturday night and landed Sunday for some business meetings scheduled for Monday, and then flew home again on Tuesday.
We experienced a delay with our flight home from Manchester, which caused us to miss our connection to Dublin. As a result, we faced a long and somewhat uncomfortable layover. To add to that, our re-booked flight had us seated separately in the back of the plane. Unfortunately, there was no way to recover the cost for better seats. While money isn't the main concern for me, it certainly reflects a lot about the airline. Because of this experience, I think I’ll consider other options instead of flying with Aer Lingus in the future.
Then yesterday, we spent the morning doing chores and participating in a broadcast on NewsMax, as well as on some radio stations. After that, we zoomed off to DC for Senator Ron Johnson's hearing on myocarditis, followed by an OAN News hit with Matt Gaetz.
We then rushed over to the Congressional Visitors Center, where the movie "Follow the Silenced" (about mRNA vaccine injuries) was being screened.
Finally, we went to a late-night dinner at Ned’s club with our publisher, Tony Lyons of Skyhorse Publishing. This dinner was the first meal that we ate in over 24 hours - and we weren’t fasting because we were trying. The day was just that crazy busy.
We arrived home at midnight to some incredibly happy dogs.
I guess the house sitter just doesn’t meet their expectations of good dog parents. You know, the type that let their wet, dirty dogs sleep on the bed, who cook homemade dog food (egg based for some reason) on a regular basis, and generally spoil them all rotten.
Yeh - the dog sitter has a hard time competing with that…
Here is our dog pack this week:
Back to our crazy life:
This morning has been spent catching up on emails and texts, scheduling, doing a radio broadcast and then writing this Substack.
This afternoon, I am now at the White House to hear President Trump make some important announcements about and from the Department of Health and Human Services, followed by a dinner. The invite didn’t extend to Jill, so she is home on the farm.
As this Substack still hasn’t been published, I am adding in the photo of the White House - where I an now standing.
I just want to say that I am incredibly proud of this White House, President Trump, and what is happening at HHS.
However, my gut is not a happy camper with all this travel -not to mention the restaurant food and the lack of sleep of the last few days.
All this busyness (and my gut) reminds me of how important gardening is for my health.
Numerous studies support the notion that regular gardening is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and age-related memory loss. Gardeners have greater lifetime improvement in mental abilities, including memory, problem-solving, and word fluency, compared to non-gardeners. Those of us who garden regularly also tend to live longer.
This is true not only for people who have farmettes but also for those who utilize community plots and smaller parcels of land.
Gardening is classified as a moderate exercise, which means more time can be spent outside and less time on a sweaty machine or mat at the gym or in the house.
I have included references at the back of this Substack if anyone doubts these assertions.
For me, all I know is that when I'm unable to garden and be outside, my digestive system backs up, I don’t think as clearly, and I find life just isn’t as interesting.
Despite being away, our garden has been thriving. Virginia has had a run of wet, cooler weather, and the plants are happy. Dumb luck this month - in terms of the weather.
"We must cultivate our own garden,"
-Voltaire, from Candide
Aesthetics: Gardens can be appreciated through all senses
The ever-changing garden differs with each season and each stage of maturation. Now, we have 45 acres to play with and so, we like to think big. We plot and plan for the future garden, that we probably won’t even be around to enjoy. We are creating a thing of beauty that will outlast us.
Because I do both enjoy the benefits of organic produce and meat, as well as the love to be around ornamental plants, I seek out edible ornamentals.
One of the easiest plants to grow is the daylily. Daylilies are not true lilies, which can be toxic. So, don’t confuse the two - if you plan on snacking on daylilies.
As deer also love to eat daylilies, we plant ours in pots near the house where the deer don’t venture. Generally, we just use the flowers in salads, but the truth is that the entire plant is edible.
The young shoots can be harvested in early spring and used in stir-fries or pastas. However, it is not recommended to eat the shoots raw, as there is a risk of hallucinations from consuming large amounts of the shoots in their raw state.
The roots can be dug up from late fall to early spring and cooked like small potatoes. They can be prepared in various ways, including boiling, roasting, sautéing, or frying. They are sweet and quite tasty.
The flower buds can be prepared by sautéing, frying, pickling, or boiling. They can also be blanched, plunged into cold water, and then frozen for later use.
The flowers can be added to salads or used as a garnish. They can be fried like squash blossoms. To preserve the flowers for later use, they can be dehydrated.
A note: Daylilies often grow wild, so they can frequently be foraged.
Before I left for DC yesterday, I did a walkabout and snapped a few photos of some of the notable plants just outside the house.
Above: Our first crop of carrots is coming along nicely, as are the onion sets. The Italian parsley has become too large, and we need to start a curly-leafed parsley plant to take its place, as it does a bit better in the summer heat.
Jill keeps threatening to set up the aero garden to start more vegetables. i am sure that parsley will be one of the first to be planted.
The mulberry trees on our farm are abundant and prolific producers. As in, we have hundreds of pounds of fruit each year. Our wild birds eat so many mulberries that their blue droppings end up on car windows, tracked through onto the carpet, and stain the porches. We don’t complain much, though, because we are blessed with an abundance of wild birds and their babies each year.
Mulberries are a beautifully shaped tree, and it is a shame that as pretty as the tree and the fruit is, the taste is rather bland. Jill has tried preserving, jamming, making wine, stewing, and making all varieties of desserts with them. All her attempts are pretty much a fail. Mulberries are good for picking off the tree and snacking on occasionally, but for us, they don’t cut it as a staple.
Pictured below in the background is the large trunk of one of our magnificent mulberry trees.
Tomatoes
We used to spend a fair amount of money on tomato cages, but we've found that letting them grow naturally or using branches from pruned trees, found materials (such as old bamboo canes), or young tree stalks from the forest work just as well. Some years, we have made our cages out of fencing material. We use twine to tie up the tomato plants.
If the tomatoes are left to grow naturally and are not caged, the crop will be smaller, and broken trunks may occur on occasion. Patio tomatoes or determinant (self-limited growth) plants do best with this strategy. A tomato grown in a container that trails over the edge can be lovely. It is a trade-off between aesthetic design and functionality.
We like to use tomatoes as an ornamental plant - they add a lot of greenery when the hot Virginia sun seems to burn up just about everything else come August and September.
Hence, some tomatoes are grown for a larger production/freezing/drying and some grown in pots, which are more for eating off the vine and at the dinner table.
Sigh.
The persimmon tree on the left died this spring. The apple tree next to it is thriving.
Both were planted about six years ago - side by side, but the persimmon has been failing to really become happy and this spring, we had a slight drought and boom - overnight, the persimmon dropped almost every single leaf. Dead as a doormouse.
This is the fifth dead persimmon tree that we have planted in the last six years. I suppose we will have to give up on them here on this farm.
The apple, on the other hand, seems to be more resistant to the apple cedar rust than other appple trees that we have planted and is off to a good, running start this year.
Sometimes, gardening is just a crap shoot!
Well, people are starting to filter into the White House briefing room - so I need to stop writing.
I hope everyone has a productive and healthy day!
Key Studies Linking Gardening and Cognition (AI derived)
1. Gardening and Brain Nerve Growth Factors (South Korea, 2019)
A study with 41 seniors (average age 76.6) found that a 20-minute session of low-to-moderate intensity gardening activities (such as digging, planting, and watering) significantly increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in participants' blood. Both BDNF and PDGF are associated with memory and cognitive function, suggesting that even short-term gardening can have measurable benefits for brain health in older adults1, 2.
2. Longitudinal Study in the UK (Edinburgh, 2024)
A long-term study tracked hundreds of older adults, comparing those who gardened regularly with those who did not. The results showed that individuals who engaged in gardening had better cognitive function later in life, even after controlling for education, socio-economic status, childhood cognitive ability, health, and overall physical activity. The study found that gardeners had greater lifetime improvement in cognitive abilities, including memory, problem-solving, and word fluency, compared to non-gardeners4, 5.
3. Systematic Review of Gardening and Neuroplasticity (2024)
A systematic review covering 23 studies found that gardening as a physical activity can increase neurotrophic factors (BDNF, VEGF, PDGF), which are essential for neuroplasticity and cognitive function. The review highlights that gardening may improve attention, memory, and overall cognitive skills, while also reducing stress and enhancing psychological well-being. However, the authors caution that more randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm causality 6, 7.
4. Additional Evidence and Theoretical Frameworks
The cognitive benefits of gardening are thought to arise from a combination of physical activity, mental engagement (planning, problem-solving, learning about plants), and social interaction. Theories such as the "use it or lose it" framework suggest that regularly engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, like gardening, helps preserve and enhance cognitive abilities in older adulthood3 4.
Attention restorative theory and stress recovery theory also support the idea that being in natural environments and engaging in gardening can restore attention and reduce stress, further contributing to cognitive health
Longevity
In regions known for high life expectancy, such as Okinawa, Japan (a "Blue Zone"), gardening is a common activity among centenarians. Researchers attribute part of their longevity to daily gardening, which provides regular physical activity, social engagement, and a sense of purpose, all factors known to contribute to longer life3, 6.
A UK study found that moderate to heavy gardening activity (four or more hours per week) was associated with significantly reduced morbidity and mortality rates in middle-aged and older men with cardiovascular disease4A 2016 meta-analysis of 22 studies found significant positive effects of gardening on a wide range of health outcomes, including reductions in depression, anxiety, and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction and quality of life—factors associated with increased longevity.
IMMENSELY GRATEFUL to both you and Jill for continuing to COURAGEOUSLY and SACRIFICIALLY work to help reduce suffering and save INNUMERABLE lives!
Plus DELIGHTING and EDUCATING us by sharing your farm stories. Your dog memes provided much needed chuckles!
We're city folk now, so our garden is small, in fact, it's containerized to neutralize the schemes of the pocket gophers. But I'm really proud of my cukes! Have a #3 vertical rebar in each corner, with horizontal twigs and branches zip tied to the rebar and each other. The little feelers love the twigs because they're easy to grab. Cucumber is so happy that it's spreading out and growing up to the trellis above where it can keep on going and make its own road. Blossoms abound!