We all love farmers’ markets and getting to pick produce that is fresh out of the ground. So why not extend this concept to your own home and start a backyard garden? Gardening has always been a popular hobby but many more people have joined this green revolution since the pandemic. Here are some of the benefits of home gardening.
1. Gardening Boosts Your Mood
Research has shown that gardening can boost your mood, lower your anxiety levels, alleviate depression, and improve your self-esteem. One such study monitored the mental health aspects of participants before, during, and after therapeutic horticulture and found that they experienced a significant improvement even several months after the program.
While playing with handfuls of dirt may feel icky, it is thought that inhaling Mycobacterium vaccae—a beneficial bacteria found in soil—can reduce anxiety and encourage the release of serotonin. Besides, knowing that you are the person who grew a thriving garden out of tiny seeds and seedlings is a fantastic lift for your self-esteem.
2. Gardening Boosts Your Immune System
It is no news that spending time outdoors is good for your health. Along with enjoying the fresh air, being out in the open will trigger your body to synthesize vitamin D. It is estimated that the average Caucasian can produce up to 50,000 international units (IU) of this crucial vitamin over a day from just a half-hour exposure to the summer sun.
Vitamin D is essential to maintain healthy body function. Having ample levels of vitamin D will boost your immune system and lower your risk of multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancers. Because vitamin D is key to effective calcium absorption, it also helps to strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.
3. Gardening is Good Exercise
Although gardening is a relaxing activity, it can also often be classed as light to moderate exercise. Gardening will use every major muscle group in your body and chopping trees and shoveling soil may even be considered vigorous exercise. You would be surprised how many gardeners have leaner and tighter muscles than people who work out at the gym.
Digging, planting, pulling, watering, and weeding are great ways to get your daily aerobic exercise requirements. The precise movements involved in gardening also help you to maintain and build strength and dexterity in your hands and fingers. Just make sure that you take care to avoid repetitive motion injuries and work within your abilities.
4. Gardening is Sustainable
Watching the world slide unchecked into climate change can cause severe eco-anxiety for many people. Address this feeling of powerlessness in your backyard by gardening and spending time on your local ecosystem. By composting your organic waste and using natural fertilizers and pest deterrents, you can build healthier spaces and enrich the environment.
Try to maintain patches of wild habitat for pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds. Research bugs commonly found in the garden to know more about how to prevent pests or attract their natural predators. Use rain barrels or drip lines to collect water for your garden to cut down on utility consumption and choose manual tools over electric or gas-powered ones.
5. Gardening is for the Whole Family
Kids are spending increasing amounts of time indoors with their gadgets and screens. Gardening is a fun activity for the whole family that will get your children outdoors and closer to nature. And it costs next to nothing. Research has shown that students who worked in school gardens reported a sense of elevated mental well-being from the experience.
In addition to being a hands-on bonding activity, gardening also teaches your children responsibility. You can let them be in charge of watering a garden, removing weeds, or harvesting fruits. Through gardening, young people can have a better idea of where their food comes from and form a greater appreciation for what they grow and eat.
6. Gardening Improves Your Diet
With ‘farm-to-table’ being the new dining buzzword, there is no way to get fresher produce than by growing it yourself. Natural organic produce can cost significantly more than regular produce and you can save a large amount of money simply by growing it yourself. Best of all, you know exactly what your plants have—and have not—been treated with.
Since cost is not a question, having a backyard garden with a large selection of fresh fruit and vegetables will encourage you to eat more greens. You may even find new varieties of vegetables that you love. With careful planning, you can plant throughout the year or harvest large amounts in the summer months and make preserved vegetables.
Gardening offers a variety of benefits from mental wellness to physical health, from your wallet to the world at large. You only need a small space to start a home garden. Even growing herbs in the window could bring you some of the perks of gardening. Whether you want to do it for yourself or the Earth, consider creating a home garden.