The Cancer Survivor's Garden Companion. Jenny Peterson
garden around the yoga deck. Now, it’s still a very young garden, so the plants aren’t yet as mature as I envision them to be, but what a gift to go out to that deck in the mornings with my coffee to practice yoga as the sun is just rising! And I may or may not practice at the end of the day with a beer; I will never tell.
It’s a 12' × 12' square, so just large enough for about 4 people to practice yoga together, but perfect for solo practice as well. If you want to build a deck similar to this one, here are my recommendations:
Use a composite decking material such as Trex. It has a natural wood grain and comes in a variety of colors or “stains,” and it can cost twice as much as real wood but you never have to maintain it. I like it because there is zero risk of getting splinters in your feet or hands – very important if you have lymphedema in your leg or arm and are susceptible to infections like I am!
Make it just a little larger than you think you’ll need, 10' × 10' minimum. Some yoga poses are challenging, and combined with my balance issues, I fall over frequently. Better to fall on a deck than off of one.
Have some kind of lighting at or around your deck. I sometimes like to go out very early in the morning or even late at night when the light is dim, and the last thing I want to do is trip because I can’t see where I’m going. If lighting doesn’t fit within your budget, bring a flashlight.
Install a waist-high bar for balance poses – we’ve talked about doing this with my yoga deck but haven’t gotten around to it yet. It’s nice to know that you can quickly hold onto something if you feel yourself going down.
Plant choices for a yoga deck garden
As I created the garden around my deck, I really wanted to have a sense of calm, peace and tranquility, so I chose plants that are tropical in nature, lush, soft and colorful. While I love agaves (and they make sense in my Texas garden) I wouldn’t dream of planting anything spiky or pokey here. Consider some of these plants:
Ornamental Grasses:
Miscanthus spp.
Pennisetum spp.
Festuca spp.
Big-leafed tropicals:
Colocasia spp.
Canna spp.
Philodendron spp.
Exotic foliage:
Coleus spp.
Calathea spp.
Anthurium spp.
Croton spp.
The ferns:
Adiantum spp.
Nephrolepis spp.
Platycerium spp.
Asplenium spp.
Bamboo is also a great choice as it’s a very “zen” plant, but be sure you are choosing the clumping variety rather than the spreading kind, which can quickly overtake your yard as well as your neighbor’s. Believe me, planting spreading bamboo will quickly use up any cancer sympathy you have from your neighbors. Even if they don’t say anything, they will give you the Stink Eye forevermore.
I want to stress that my yoga deck garden is the only garden I really tend on our property. It’s the one that is the most important to me, the one that is the most life-giving and healing to me, and the one that I can realistically keep up with. At the writing of this book, I’m three years post-diagnosis, and while my body, mind and spirit have healed dramatically during that time, I am still aware of my limits and boundaries. It’s good to push them so I continue to move forward with my healing. This garden has proven to be the balm that helps to make me whole again.
And remember – there is a reason why yoga is called a “practice.” This is not about being perfect and judging yourself. Even the healthiest of bodies fluctuate day-to-day in terms of flexibility and strength, so the goal here is to honor where your body is at this very moment, and let your garden help move it forward.
Survivor Spotlight
Name: Rick
Age at diagnosis: 29
Diagnosis: Testicular Cancer (Embryonal Cell Carcinoma)
Stage: 3-A
Tip: Let your garden be what you need it to be on any given day. Sometimes, a quiet retreat where you can contemplate and focus. Other times, a place to just get lost in gardening and take your mind off of things.
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