Maple Takes to Gardening

[dogwoodmaple 380]

One of the downsides to a long season is the incredible amount of stress that can continually build up on each player.  Whether it's the daily grind of the rigorous practice and game schedule or the ever-increasing involvement of fans and social media, stress is something every player in VHL has dealt with. As such, it's crucial for players across the league to have some sort of outlet for their stress. Some do yoga, some read or write in their spare time, and some even hike, but Las Vegas Aces center Dogwood Maple has found something else entirely to destress - gardening.

 

"I really got into it when I was younger, but it's something that I spend a little time every day doing and I find it incredibly rewarding.  Right now I've got some great tomato plants, some squash, and more pepper than I know what to do with.  And yeah I eat my "crops", but it's more about the journey for me.  Because when I'm in my garden, there's no cell phone, there's no television, there's no social media blowing me up. It's just me, my tools, and the plants.  It's incredible peaceful."

 

When asked how his move to Las Vegas has impacted his gardening hobby, Maple admitted that the change in climate was difficult to overcome at first.

 

"Growing up in Georgia, we have all four seasons.  Hot summers, mild falls, cool winters, and warm springs.  There's really plants for anything and everything regardless of what time of year.  Plus, with all the trees we have in Georgia, it's easy to get partial or full-shade plants growing really strong.  When I moved to Vegas, I had to make some major adjustments, though.  There's not nearly as much shade and the hot weather lasts a lot longer.  Plus there's the soil differences to account for.  I'm not happy to say that I lost some of my leafy greens when I first started planting them out here, but I was able to make some adjustments.  And that's something else that I love about gardening - it's not just putting plants in the dirt.  There's a science to it. You have to be intentional with what you plant, when you plant it, how much sun it gets, how much water, and so on.  But the biggest thing for me is just the peace and quiet.  When you think about your day to day life, you might not have much time at all while you're awake that you get silence.  Just being outside and getting to experience that has really helped me counteract the stress of a long hockey season."

 

Maple also added that none of his vegetables go to waste, no matter how big his harvests are.

 

"I'll eat as much of this as I can and it usually lasts me a while.  But if we ever have an extended road trip or I just can't quite make it through that week's harvest, I'll make sure to donate it to a local food bank or charity. I never let this stuff go to waste if I can help it.  There's so many folks out there who struggle with access to fresh vegetables so I figure it's the least I can do.  And the better I get at this whole gardening thing, the larger plots of land and more ambitious I'll get with it.  It helps people, provides me some good relaxation, and is a great excuse to spend some quality time outdoors. What's not to love?"

 

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