Frequent gardening benefits people of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. Everyone can participate in this sport, which helps everyone from young children to the elderly providing light exercise. You can feel proud of yourself by looking at your own garden. You can achieve this by growing your own wholesome foods, making your own homegrown flower bouquets, or even just by maintaining a wonderfully well-kept yard and beautifully trimmed hedges.
Now is the ideal time to begin planting. Don’t let living in a small apartment deter you; you can start with houseplants or a balcony garden in a container.
GARDENING HAS SO MANY GREAT ADVANTAGES
The full list of the top 10 advantages of gardening is as follows:
- brings about food security
- develops a creative, healthy way of life
- aids in the prevention of disease
- enables physical activity
- Promotes mental health
- aids in the early development of children
- aids seniors both physically and emotionally
- brings about social interaction
- combats climate change
- makes one feel proud and accomplished
1. Gardening to produce food
Victory gardens were established by a record number of people during the coronavirus as a result of mounting food crisis worries. The answer to supplying your own food in your backyard rather than relying on the grocery store was to have a vegetable garden. For additional information on growing food during difficult times, see my article Food Security through Vegetable Gardening.
Producing your own food can offer piece of mind knowing you can feed your family in times of international crises as we recently had, but also for other reasons such as job loss or illness. When food prices are high, it is a terrific method to save money. Not only may you cultivate your own veggies, but you can also plant some fruit trees, berries, or perhaps an entire food forest. Choose your family’s favorite foods, which you purchase frequently at the shop, while deciding what to cultivate.
If you want further advice on growing your own food, check out my essay Food Gardening for Beginners.
2. Growing plants fosters a healthy lifestyle
Knowing where your food comes from and how it was grown gives you piece of mind when you consume healthy foods made from your own organic homegrown produce, which includes fruits and berries. A healthier version of you can be achieved through eating well and getting more exercise through working in the garden.
Your immune system can potentially get a boost from soil microbes. This has a history of reducing stress and assisting with depression and anxiety. Growing a garden increases your daily mobility, which is always beneficial and can aid with weight loss. Whether you are designing your garden or actually working in it, gardening encourages creativity and awareness.
3. Gardening AIDS in the prevention of disease
Among the many advantages of gardening for illness prevention are its ability to reduce stress, raise vitamin D levels, increase physical activity, and strengthen the immune system. Reduced stress and regular physical activity are both beneficial in lowering the risk of heart disease and/or cardiovascular disease, which helps prevent a heart attack. Less stress and sunlight exposure are both known to help reduce blood pressure.
Lack of vitamin D contributes to bone density loss and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Both of these result in brittle bones and an increased risk of bone fracture. Hence, gardening outside increases your levels of vitamin D. A stronger immune system can protect you from autoimmune illnesses and prevent you from contracting the latest virus or common cold. As you can see, there are many excellent reasons to start gardening, as it actually aids in illness prevention and general human wellness.
4. Fitness training from gardening
Every major muscle group in the body is used during the laborious activity of gardening. You might be weeding, mulching, excavating, raking, shifting mulch bags, and so on on various days. There is always physical labor to be done in the garden, whether it be trimming basil plants, tomatoes, apple trees, or grass. With stronger muscles, less stiffness, better sleep, and more activity, this leads to better physical health.
To be sure you are using the proper equipment for the right purpose to lighten your workload a little bit, check out my post Favorite Tools for Vegetable Gardening.
5. Advantages of gardens for Mental health
Direct contact with the ground has been found in numerous studies to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Those with depression and anxiety benefit from less stress. Stress alleviation can also be aided by the tranquility and creative outlet that gardening affords. Depression may be lessened by having a purpose and duty to take care of other living things, such as plants.
6. Advantages of gardening for early childhood development
Children may learn so much through gardening, from sensory development to problem-solving abilities and more. It introduces youngsters to novel concepts and instills responsibility. Another excellent family activity that fosters family bonding and gets the kids outside and away from computer games and screen time is spending time together in the garden.
It requires concentrated attention and the development of new abilities, such as patience, because some plants require weeks to grow fruit or bloom. In addition to getting their bodies moving, gardening is an excellent opportunity to teach STEM concepts such as habitat, biology, record-keeping, planning, and design. Encourage students to consider participating in their own school gardens as well!
If kids have grown their own fruits and veggies, they are also more likely to try them, which is always a good thing! They take pride in producing their own fruits and vegetables, and now that they are aware of their origins, they are more accustomed to them. For more suggestions on engaging kids in the garden, see my post Vegetable Gardening with Kids.
7. The elderly can benefit from gardens
The physical benefits of gardening are fantastic for our elderly since it may maintain their muscles strong and ease joint pain and stiffness, which can help prevent falls. Also, the additional exercise may lower their risk of osteoporosis.
While it helps to improve mental health and cognitive function, horticultural therapy is also an excellent treatment for those with dementia or who are at risk of developing the disease.
Even a little gardening can help people feel less stressed, which benefits anyone who might be suffering from melancholy, anxiety, or high blood pressure.
8. Gardening is a great way to interact with people
One of the outdoor pursuits that promotes social connection is gardening, where participants can exchange knowledge and experience. Whether you are tending a school garden or a community garden, or simply sharing your harvest with friends, family, or neighbors. Learning from older, more knowledgeable gardeners who are younger is usually enjoyable for everyone concerned. After we first got married, I adored taking my mother-in-law on “garden tours” through her garden; I learnt so much from her.
Another excellent approach to meet people who share your interests is by finding a gardening mentor or joining a club. Sharing online, on platforms like Instagram or a neighborhood Facebook gardening group, is another fantastic opportunity to learn from others or pass on your expertise to those who are just getting started.
9. Climate change can be mitigated by gardening
Eco-anxiety, which is the fear of climate change and helplessness to stop it, is a real condition. In actuality, you can benefit the environment through gardening. Your environmental concern may decrease as a result of growing new and varied plants, which also helps minimize the carbon impact. By consuming food that you have grown yourself, you may reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are used to ship products from supermarkets across the globe.
You can plant more trees and create wildlife habitat in your garden which are both great for the environment. Consider volunteering for your local land conservation groups to help plant trees or remove noxious weeds in your area. Use drip irrigation to hydrate your green space and collect rainwater to reduce the amount of water you use. All of these actions help you feel less guilty and more in control while easing your concerns about climate change.
10. Gardens generate pride
Working long hours in your garden plot provides benefits, such as making you proud of the food you serve. A lovely garden provides you the sense of empowerment that comes from being able to provide for your family using your own two hands. A garden offers a lovely outdoor area that promotes tranquility and creativity. It exudes a righteous sense of success and ownership pride in your property.
