The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
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South Gibson Star-Times Fall Home Improvement Tuesday, September 27, 2022 C-7 812-867-6978 www.scottyslawn.com YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR 1111 E Warrenton Rd. Haubstadt, IN 47639 with approved credit 500 HOUR 3 YEAR NON-COMMERCIAL WARRANTY 0% financing for 60 months 812-867-6978 www.scottyslawn.com YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR 1111 E Warrenton Rd. Haubstadt, IN 47639 with approved credit 500 HOUR 3 YEAR NON-COMMERCIAL WARRANTY 0% financing for 60 months Mark Meny n Randy Meny License#CP30300017, License#HAC20643 408 E. State Road 68, Haubstadt n 812-768-6229 For all Your Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Needs Get Cozy THIS WINTER Designing your garden for better mental health (StatePoint) Gardening is not only a means for beau- tifying outdoor spaces and growing delicious foods. Ac- cording to those who spend significant time in the yard, getting outside can also sup- port your wellbeing. "Gardening is good for the mind, it's good for the soul and it's good for the body," said legendary foot- ball coach, Vince Dooley. "I enjoy coming out to garden, and when I finish, I feel like I've done something, and I feel good." Landscape architect Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground recently visited Dooley in Athens, Ga. to dis- cuss gardening and mental health. Here are some of the insights they shared: HEALTH BENEFITS • Active benefits: Garden- ing exercises the body and clears the mind. Studies show that increased outdoor exposure leads to fewer long- term health problems, help- ing improve cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, strength, and dexterity—all leading to better mental health. Simply planting, growing, harvest- ing and maintaining plants gives you a direct emotion- al boost. Why? Gardening helps foster nurturing in- stincts and restores a sense of hope and purpose, ulti- mately improving self-es- teem. • Passive benefits: Don't have a green thumb? Don't worry. Scientific evidence proves that just being in na- ture has positive impacts on stress levels and brain chem- istry. It can also lower blood pressure, increase concen- tration and improve mood. What's more, being outdoors offers a deeper sense of be- longing and a new sense of purpose outside the daily grind. DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN Scott advises designing your garden to reflect how you want to live outside. He typically builds "rooms" con- nected by meandering paths for resting, unwinding, and feeling restored. However, your outdoor spaces don't al- ways need to be quiet. They can encourage activity as well. If you enjoy company, create gathering spaces. Or, if you have hobbies that can be done outdoors like exer- cising, painting or writing, you can set aside areas for them. Finally, Scott recommends designing your garden to awaken your five senses. Here's how: 1. Sight: Choose calming colors, or those that bring you joy. The simple sight of a breathtaking array of plants or an arrangement of favor- ite flowers is bound to give your mental health a boost. 2. Taste: Growing your own food will provide you with an incredibly rewarding harvest. Not only will you be able to enhance meals with the fruits of your labor, you'll get the personal satisfaction of a job well done. 3. Hearing: Among the plants and flowers, add fix- tures, such as wind chimes and water features, that'll produce soothing sounds. And with the new habitat you've created, you'll enjoy bird song, too! 4. Touch: From the light, feathery textures of petals to the rough surfaces of bark or bush stems, touch offers a deeper sense of connection to nature. 5. Smell: You may already use aromatherapy indoors. Take this concept outside by growing fragrant flowers and herbs, so you can literal- ly "stop to smell the roses." Scott and Dooley offer more insights in "Garden Therapy," a recent episode of "Done-In-A-Weekend Projects," an original series from lawn care equipment manufacturer, Exmark. To watch the video, visit Back- yard Life, which is part of a unique multimedia destina- tion with a focus on helping homeowners make the most of outdoor spaces. There you can also download additional tips and view other Exmark Original Series videos. By gardening, your mental health will be better off for it. Just be sure to start small, simple and stress-free. Save energy in the kitchen (StatePoint) The kitchen is the heart of the home, it's also a space where you can waste a lot of energy if you're not care- ful. By making a few simple adjustments to your habits in the kitchen, you can easily cut your energy bills and do your part to help the environment. "The appliances you se- lect for your kitchen have ef- fects far beyond the food you eat," says Peter Weed- fald, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing at Sharp Home Electronics Company of America. "From the appli- ances you choose to how you use them, you can make a real difference in your energy con- sumption today." Here are a few ideas for get- ting started: 1. Keep it cool: Minimize the time you have the refrig- erator door open. Cold air falls straight to the floor like water. The longer you leave the door open, the more cool air drains away and the harder your fridge has to work to replace it. Refrigerators that have pan- try and freezer drawers help contain the cold air even when they are open. Keep frequent- ly accessed items in the refrig- erated pantry drawer so ev- eryone in the family can help themselves. 2. Go small or go home: Whenever possible, opt to use your small appliances. For ex- ample, the next time you're re- heating food, use the micro- wave instead of the stove or oven. According to the federal government program ENER- GY STAR, microwaves use up to 80 % less energy than con- ventional ovens. 3. Wash-up smart: If you find yourself running your dishwasher before it's full, it's time to consider an upgrade. Find a dishwasher that allows you to manage your load size. Features like the half-load option or Wash Zone setting available on Sharp's Slide-In Stainless Steel Dishwashers will focus the water in one area when washing smaller loads to make every drop count. 4. Unplug: If you're like most people, you use applianc- es like your toaster and coffee- maker for just a few minutes each day. Unplug small appli- ances like these after you're done to stop "vampire ener- gy," which is the energy con- sumed by items when they are plugged in but are not in use. 5. Make an upgrade: To- day's appliances are general- ly more energy efficient than older appliances, and there are a lot of energy efficient selec- tions. According to ENERGY STAR, induction cooktops are around 5 -10 % more efficient than conventional electric units and about three times more efficient than gas.