Add green to your lifestyle

Here's a tip that could help ensure your family's well-being - remember that green matters. Researchers say this is true not only of leafy salads and vitamin-filled vegetables but also in the green outside your home. In fact, studies show that paying more attention to exterior "green space" can play an important role in the way we feel and act.

"There's strong evidence that planning to achieve the right mix of trees, grass, shrubs and plants has real benefits not only for your family's lifestyle but also for your neighborhood and your community as well," said Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen,

"In essence, green has always been nature's prescription for helping us to relax, slow down and relieve the stress of daily life," said Gardner. "In fact, there is

Gardening

evidence that working to maintain and improve green space helps lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension related to stress, improve attention, and reduce feelings of fear and anger or aggression."

Equally important is that these benefits aren't restricted to those who have a proverbial green thumb. For example, a study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services found that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder improved their ability to focus and concentrate when they were exposed to parks and other green spaces. A similar study by the University of Illinois found that girls exposed to green settings are better able to handle peer pressure and other challenging situations, as well as perform better in school.

Other research by the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana found that inner-city families with trees and greenery in their immediate surroundings had safer domestic environments than those in buildings barren of nature. The researchers suspected that mental fatigue - which green spaces have been shown to reduce - played a role in the amount of aggression and violence in these settings.

These clinical situations give us tangible results about how plants, flowers and green landscapes affect both physical and mental health. But what difference can they make for you and your family?

"At the least, they invite you to step back and assess if you're getting enough value from your existing green space. For example, are you putting up with street noise and headlight glare that could be screened out with well-placed plantings?" he said. "Also, don't overlook the fact that careful planning to add more green space in your environment combines a feeling of personal well-being with definite economic benefits. This includes often overlooked items such as the lower cooling costs, which well-placed shade trees can provide, and the higher selling prices commanded by homes with attractive landscaping."

(This column was provided by the North American Precis Syndicate.)