Sean Dominic’s The Young and the Restless character, Dr. Nate Hastings tends to patients. In real life, the actor tends to his garden. Yep, the actor has a garden in his backyard, and he tells Soap Hub in this week’s installment of Wellness Wednesday that there are many benefits to having one.
In this past, Wellness Wednesday features have included insights from Jacob Young (ex-Rick Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks, General Hospital) This week, read all about Sean Dominic’s thoughts on gardening, an activity that brings him mental and physical well-being.
Soap Hub: How did you come to start your own garden?
Sean Dominic: I’d been wanting to grow a garden for a while. I have a friend out here who helps people start gardens; together, from there, I started this garden from the ground up; we had three garden beds, but we had to take out some dead dirt and fill it with compost and perlite. We put down horse manure and chicken manure at the very bottom and put some cardboard on top of that and soaked it with water. That helps the soil beneath rejuvenate.
What have you been growing?
I’ve been growing leafy greens, kale, strawberries, corn, beans, squash, zucchini, a ton of tomatoes, and herbs including basil and dill.
Is it physically taxing?
It’s a lot of work but in the beginning, I was very lucky to have my brother, his fiancée, and a friend help me get started. The hardest part was getting the dirt out. After that, it just takes attention and some nurturing. I spend a lot of time in my backyard either working out or in the garden itself. I’ll check the soil to see if I need to water it again. I recently cut off some collards, spinach, and kale. I blanched it all and froze it for later.
Does this cut down on the grocery bill?
Oh, yeah! Definitely. I haven’t had to buy tomatoes for a year. Right now, I’m looking at recipes on how I can make my own tomato sauce. It helps me get out of myself and I focus on the fact that I’m taking care of something. It’s honestly like a form of meditation. I’ll get up in the morning and take the dog out and I’ll wander through the garden and see what’s growing. I’ll check out what’s having a difficult time. Over the last two months, I’ve had something going at my tomatoes. It could be a mouse or a possum? [Laughs] As long as they don’t take all my tomatoes, I’m good!
Having and growing my own garden is definitely calming. It’s like when you’re at the beach and your stress hormones go down after looking at the horizon for 10 or 15 minutes. That’s how I feel when I look at my garden.
Some people talk to their plants. Do you talk to your garden?
Yeah, I do. The other day I saw something [foreign] on one of my tomato plants and I was like, ‘What do you have growing on you?’ I sprayed as much of it off as I could with my hose. Yes, I do talk to my plants.
Do you recommend growing a garden or engaging in an activity that gets you out of your head?
I do. We spend too much time deep in ourselves thinking about all the things that are wrong. Pretty much all of us, whether it’s taking up an instrument or working out, can benefit from taking on an activity. I think working on something outside of yourself can be learning and, to be honest, can give you an understanding of the world.
The tomatoes I grow remind me of the ones I used to get from my grandmother. My grandparents grew these amazing tomatoes in Virginia. I remember finding some amazing tomatoes when I was visiting Bulgaria. My tomatoes are on a par with the ones I had as a kid. I like to be somewhat self-sufficient. Having my own garden helps cut down on my bills and has helped give me an appreciation for life. I think that’s something we’ve gotten away from a little bit.
What do people say when they find out you have a garden?
People say, ‘You have a garden?’ That’s pretty much what I get from almost everybody. I said, ‘Of course, I do! I’m a Renaissance Man!'”
To watch Sean Dominic as Dr. Nate Hastings make sure to tune into The Young and the Restless (YR) which airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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