A while back, I wrote an edition of Life Lived Outside that highlighted the book The Nature Fix. An entire book devoted to telling us something we already know – that plants make us happy, and plants make us healthy. A micro-dose of nature each day increases our feelings of well-being, making us feel less stressed, more grounded, and just plain happier.

And it isn’t just plants. Various studies over the years have shown that there are compounds in the soil that have healthful properties, giving us the ultimate proof that getting our hands dirty is just what the doctor ordered. And even if everything about the connection between plants, soil, and health is not completely understood, we all know how good being out in the garden is for us.

And the thing is, soil isn’t just good for us, it is one of the critical things for making plants grow well. Most of you probably don’t have backyards filled with loamy, rich dirt that allows every plant to thrive no matter what you do. Instead, you probably have a yard full of Florida sugar sand. That’s where great soil comes in. This year at Kerby’s, we’ve upgraded the soil that we carry to make sure your new plants are certain to thrive. It’s something your plants will adore, and it’s called Black Gold®. These new soils are an improvement on the custom blends that we have sold at Kerby’s for years. The first big change is that they are all OMRI certified and organic, better for you and better for Mother Earth. More details about the new soils are on our website’s Soil page. So, when you come in to get beautiful plants for your garden, don’t forget to pick up some Black Gold® soil as well.

With the new year well underway, we’ve posted our schedule of events for the Spring season. We’ll kick it off on Saturday, February 12th at 10 am with our first make-and-take hands-on workshop. Flower expert Jo Donohoe will demonstrate creating a gorgeous cut flower bouquet for Valentine’s Day and then help you put one together. We hope you’ll come out to make a bouquet for your sweetheart or just to treat yourself. The workshop will be limited to 20 attendees and will have a registration fee of $25. Details and directions for registration will be posted online soon.

And then we’ll continue the fun the following week, with yours truly teaching you all about growing veggies in Florida. It’s always my favorite workshop of the season. All of this will lead up to our March 5th Spring Fling, which will be a day filled with garden workshops, demonstrations, and the official opening of The Farmhouse at Kerby’s. Let’s make it a year to remember in the garden, filled with health, happiness, and of course gorgeous flowers.