Feed the soul: In chaotic times, gardening becomes therapy

John Raby

The Associated Press

Dig. Plant. Breathe.

As spring’s arrival in the Northern Hemisphere coincides with government stay-at-home orders, the itch to get outside has turned backyard gardens into a getaway for the mind in chaotic times.

Gardeners who already know that working with soil is a way to connect with nature said it helps take away their worries, at least temporarily.

“I love to see things grow,” Lindsay Waldrop said. “It’s incredibly therapeutic.”

Now more than ever.

Waldrop, a resident of Anaheim, has an anxiety disorder. Exercise is supposed to help, but her new job as a col...