Growing Kindness: Support Pollinators and Garden for Others this Spring
It is almost officially spring! Spring in Miami is a season filled with sunshine, fresh blooms, and renewed energy. As flowers and plants begin sprouting in gardens around our neighborhoods, it is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the power of caring for ourselves and one another.
Gardening and being in nature is good for your mental and physical health. And, if your time digging in the dirt helps others, all the better. According to the Mayo Clinic, “People tend to breathe deeper when outside. This helps to clear out the lungs, improves digestion, improves immune response and increases oxygen levels in the blood. Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce heart rate and muscle tension. Sunlight lowers blood pressure and increases vitamin D levels.”
Help Others and Beautify Your Neighborhood from Home
Looking for a fun, easy way to support pollinators and plant flowers in your neighborhood? Try making seed bombs! Make sure some of your seed bombs contain native milkweed seeds, and toss them under power lines and or along roadsides. Note: make sure you use native seeds from the Miami area and avoid commercial wildflower mixes. If you aren’t sure what seeds to put in your seed bombs, call a local nursery for help or use one of the resources on Doing Good Together’s website. Kids will love getting their hands dirty and seeing the results of their work in your yard or around your neighborhood.
Many gardeners have started planning what to plant this year. Consider planting extra seeds this year to help those in your community facing food insecurity. Did you know there are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the U.S.? Imagine the impact that could be made if every one of those gardeners donated some fresh produce to local food shelves.
Gardening in the Community
Don’t have your own yard or garden? There are many places that need help with their gardens in the Miami area.
Miami’s Tropical Audubon Society needs help maintaining their Bird-Friendly Demonstration Garden and near-native Steinberg Nature Center grounds! You'll get hands-on experience creating wildlife habitat under the guidance of their resident Master Gardeners. The knowledge and skills you gain will enable you to establish a bird-friendly garden in your own yard, patio or balcony. Kids from all ages are welcome to participate!
Looking to grow vegetables to help support a healthier community? Get your hands in the dirt and help at Health in the Hood’s Opa-Locka community gardens. All ages can help, and the produce grown is given directly to people in neighborhoods who have limited access to healthy food. No experience needed - just a willingness to jump in. Every little bit makes a difference.
Whether you plant a garden in your backyard, volunteer at a community garden, or throw seed bombs out of a car window, you will be helping make your neighborhood a more beautiful place, and showing your children the power of working with their hands to grow something beautiful.
Doing Good Together’s Miami Kindness Project content is FREE thanks to the generous support of the Al and Jane Nahmad Foundation.