Does the phrase “the new normal” drive you crazy? How about “these unprecedented times”? For whatever reason, those pandemic terms we have all heard over and over in these uncertain (sorry!) Times can infuriate me.
I am not alone in my sensitivity. Emotional stress and general anxiety were widespread throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – right through to a life that was bogged down for more than 15 months. As a result, what used to be a mild anger can trigger a fit of anger.
Fortunately, people deal with this anger constructively and channel it into various forms of self-expression for relief. There’s Rage Baking, Rage DIYing, Rage Cleaning – and now Rage Gardening.
While rage gardening isn’t a new concept, it has become all the rage lately. That’s probably because taking your life’s frustrations out on plants is therapeutic and cathartic, and it pays off in the form of vegetables or flowers.
So break out your trowel and read on if you’re looking for a constructive way to deal with your anger.
What is rage gardening?
Rage gardening is exactly what it sounds like: getting rid of your anger while you get things done in your garden.
“Rage gardening is not driven by your passion for growing plants and flowers, but by anger and dissatisfaction,” says Ryan Smith, a gardening expert and owner of Ant and Garden Organic Pest Control.
So instead of venting your frustration or outrage in unhealthy ways, express it through manual gardening: pruning, pulling, digging, pruning, and wild weeding.
“Anger can give you the energy you need to complete tasks you may have neglected, like dying off withered flowers, removing dead branches, or picking overdue crops,” added Jen Stark, Founder of Happy DIY Home, a gardening and home improvement blog.
Caution: Be careful not to lean too much into your anger. You don’t want to accidentally ruin your garden.
Is Rage Gardening Really a Stress Reliever?
Anger, like many emotions, creates a physiological response in the body.
“Gardening is a great way to re-focus your energies,” says Dr. Bryan Bruno, medical director at Mid City TMS, a New York City-based medical center focused on the treatment of depression. “It takes you outside, which is always good for mental health. Gardening also requires you to be fully engaged, both physically and mentally. “
Exercising your entire body is also good for your immune system, and gardening can help you feel more connected to the earth and lead a slower life. This is especially good because anger can cause impulsive behavior and lead to questionable decisions.
“That’s because the brain’s emotional center – the amygdala – reacts before the prefrontal cortex,” adds Bruno. “And the prefrontal cortex is responsible for rational thinking and checks whether our response is reasonable. Gardening naturally calms the mind and is the perfect counterpoint to anger. “
Where to plant a rage garden
We can’t change most of the things that excite us, but we can use this energy to turn ugly, underrated outdoor spaces into something beautiful.
“Dig up this piece of unused soil and turn it into a new garden bed,” says Remember joke, a gardening expert and co-founder of Seedsandspades.com.
Or clean up an overgrown area that you’ve neglected.
“Weeds are the best points of attack to endure the anger,” says Witz.
What are the best plants for a rage garden?
Everyone seems to have their own favorite rage garden green. To the Kurt Joshua, Content contributor and advisor to Garden Guidepost, his favorite garden plants are tomatoes, sunflowers, and lavender.
Smith’s rage garden grows with herbs like basil, thyme, parsley, and mint. He also advises mad gardeners to plant vegetables like lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. As for angry flowers, he likes marigolds and sunflowers.
Bruno advocates plants that need a little more care so that you have to venture into your garden more often – and maybe even ward off your anger first.
“Something like climbing roses or hedges that have to be pruned properly,” he says.
Insights from angry gardeners
“Everyone will experience anger gardening in their own way; but in my case I was frustrated and bored with the seemingly endless lockdown, “says James Crawford, Co-founder of DealDrop.com. “I picked up a spade and went to work in a neglected semi-forest area. As I got into the swing of hacking and hacking, the matters that preoccupied me faded. Instead, I concentrated solely on removing the next dead tree root or cleaning an area of a hawthorn bush. “
“If you do decide to remove weeds to test gardening, I recommend doing it in your gardening gloves and without tools,” says Bryan McKenzie, Co-founder of Bumper Crop Times. “That way, you will feel your anger or fear more directly related to the object.”
