I watched my husband through the living room window, watering our garden in early morning. The soil is allowed to drink when the air is cool, before having to share with the warmth of the sun. Gardening, like the roots of trees, connects us to our neighbors. It used to be our young children who gifted us that connection. We pushed strollers on sidewalks, then chatted as they bicycled and soon worried together as they drove cars, lemonade stands long forgotten. But now we watch our gardens grow, hummingbird flowers blossom, tomato plants thrive, and we clip roses so others will follow. It is a garden party with budding conversation.

We have an oval garden set between our homes that we all share as neighbors. For years it was neglected, no one taking the time to pause and imagine its possibilities. Yet this summer that all changed. My husband took the pause to dream what could be and began the arduous task of leveling the plot, planting and starting anew. Neighbors joined in with clippers and trowels. There was such excitement when the mail order tree arrived, as we shouted the news from our porches. And within two weeks, not only was the garden a masterpiece, but we became a more connected community.

With sweat dripping from brows, conversations deepened, cultivating social connection, which has been documented as the key ingredient to our physical and emotional well-being. The simplicity of digging in dirt lessened social boundaries allowing for more risk and intimacy. Our neighborhood had discovered the joy of the sandbox from long ago.

A Harvard study spanning 80 years, followed participants from adolescence into old age, measuring both their physical and mental health. The number one finding was that our social connections are primary in supporting our overall health and well-being. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis and cognitive decline, were inversely correlated with decreased loneliness and increased social connections. Close connections act as “stress regulators” in the face of personal life challenges as well as those globally. There is a reduction in depression and anxiety.

A recent New York Times article, “Sweden’s Secret to Well-Being,” described the beauty and healing aspects of kolonitradgardar, which are tiny gardens in Sweden’s urban areas. They have been created specifically for urban dwellers to find a respite from the bustle of city life and experience the peaceful benefits of nature. Yogic wisdom teaches that our focus on our breath cultivates peace and tranquility. And if you unscramble the letters of the word “breathe,” the word becomes “be-earth.” Working the soil in gardening, like our breath, grounds us. And when rooted in community, we find a moment to pause in presence. So often, we too are spinning in a fast-paced urban lifestyle, even with nature at our doorstep and the Flatirons as our backdrop.

Our garden plot allowed for sharing conversations, creative gardening ideas and the physicality of hard labor, which has been described as “cross-pollination.” It is when inspiration develops from diverse influences. In a broader sense, our country is struggling to empower our nation to “cross-pollinate” and celebrate the power of diversity, both nationally and internationally. Diversity provides the sunlight necessary for expanding our knowledge in service of universal healing and survival.

We all have individual differences within our neighborhoods. The task becomes how to stay connected during times when our differences are tearing us apart on a global level. I am reminded of the teachings of Suzanne Simard, a leading world ecologist.

She writes about the beauty and wisdom of our forests. How our trees are a complex society, always in respectful communication, nurturing and healing one another. She cites that it is not only that we must save our trees, but their wisdom will save us.

From the weeds of neglect, our oval garden became a circle of connection, rooting us to one another, so we too may continue to flourish.

Priscilla Dann-Courtney may be reached at: priscillacourtney3@gmail.com.