So today I joined my first session with the group who looks after the community garden at @chaptertweets and I genuinely loved every second of it 😁! I have always loved gardens, but I have never considered myself a gardener. My parents both have a green thumb; I historically have more of my grandmother’s plant murdering genes 🙈😂! There’s also, for a very long time, been the little issue of my OCD freaking out at the mere thought of my touching ACTUAL DIRT! And until recently, after having my tube removed, I think I would have struggled physically. I was inspired to join the group after seeing my parents allotment and hearing about how therapeutic they find working the land there. I know I’m nowhere near ready for an allotment or raised bed, so I decided to find I community garden I could work on to build up my skills and knowledge... plus, I like being busy, and this is another thing to keep me occupied! And I think it’ll be really good for both my physical and mental health. I was right! I am absolutely knackered this evening, and all I did was weed around the baby leeks and clear a path of weeds... although, that’s actually quite a lot, now I think about it! Anyway, I’ve had plenty of exercise 💪🏻. And as for the mental health aspect, I found stabbing the shit out of some weeds excellent anger management therapy 😂! The entire process was very meditative; it felt the same as when I’m swimming... I was so focused on what I was doing that all the noise normally in my head fell quiet. And I met some lovely new friends, AND got a free coffee and cookie and some fresh blackberries out of it! I was honestly really proud of my finished work 😁 and of myself for doing something new that I once would have found really scary! It feels really good that from now on when I enjoy the beauty of Chapter’s lovely garden, I’ll know I’ve contributed to it 😁. I’m definitely going again; there’s no stopping me now! I’m officially a gardener. I highly recommend that y’all find a garden you can work on; if I, the disabled plant murderer with OCD have discovered I love it, I’m pretty sure you will, too! #communitygarden #communitygardening #gardeninggroup #firstday #ilovedit (at Chapter) https://www.instagram.com/p/B06weVLhTln/?igshid=1pgrenebuw9kq