5 Benefits of Gardening
Photo by David Lang on Unsplash
When I was young, my mom had the most incredible garden, filled with flowers and veggies alike. In fact, up until her early 80s, you’d probably catch her working in it on nearly any given summer day. She absolutely loved it, and with good reason - there are a ton of benefits gardening provides to us.
Several studies have linked the benefits of both our mental and physical health to plants, whether indoors or out, so it’s no surprise to see the popularity of houseplants. I truly believe there’s something quite magical about watching something grow out of nothing, and just like my mom, gardening has become quite the hobby for me as well. So with that in mind, I want to talk about some of the benefits I gain from gardening.
Also read: 5 Ways To Use Your Longer Days
Before we get too far into the benefits of gardening, I want to touch on a common concern many folks face when it comes to gardening which is space - or, lack thereof. Not everyone has access to space to plant a garden or are bound by different rules and regulations from apartment buildings. If you can't plant something outside in a garden bed, my first suggestion would be to see if you can plant in pots or planter boxes instead. If this isn’t accessible to you, my next suggestion would be to see if you can grow plants indoors. There are still a ton of benefits to growing plants indoors, including four out of the five I’m specifically going to talk about today.
5 Benefits of Gardening
1. GARDENING GETS US OUTSIDE I’m a firm believer that spending time outside can lift your spirits and leave you feeling more calm and happy, but let’s face it, it can sometimes feel like the last thing we want to do after a busy day. Spending as little as 5 or 10 minutes in the garden can leave you feeling absolutely amazing (and let’s face it, playing in the dirt can feel pretty fun, too!). It gets you outside, in nature, enjoying (quite literally) the fruits of your labours.
2. GARDENING GIVES US SOMETHING TO CARE FOR To put it quite literally, gardening gives us something to care for, which a lot of people can find beneficial. Sometimes it can feel like we get so busy in the routine of life that it may feel difficult to step back and smell the roses. By giving us something to care for, I sometimes find that gardening can give us a hobby that can help us break up our day.
3. GARDENING GIVES US SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO We live in a world filled with distractions and instant gratification, which, as a result, has impacted many of our abilities to stay focused and remain patient. Gardening is all about delayed gratification - we may not reap the rewards of our hard work for days, weeks, or even months. In addition, it can also give us something to look forward to.
4. GARDENING GIVES US A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT Far too often in life, it can either feel like we don’t get to see the benefits of our hard work or that we need to wait a long time to see it. Gardening, on the other hand, allows us to watch our hard work pay off firsthand. There is such a sense of accomplishment to watch it begin to grow and flourish, which can leave us with a sense of pride. Whether that looks like a delicious meal with the vegetables we grew or flowers that continue to poke back up year after year, gardening can allow us to achieve what we decide to set out to.
5. GARDENING REMINDS US THAT WE ALL BLOOM DIFFERENTLY Every plant grows differently. Some are tall, some are small; some bloom at the start of the year, and others bloom towards the end. The difference from plant to plant is what makes them all unique, and we love them for that. However, when it comes to ourselves, we are quick to judge our differences. We need to remember that just as it’s true in plants, the differences from person to person make us wonderful. We may look different, flourish at different times, or grow in different ways, but together, no one’s beauty takes away from the next. We are all beautiful, we are all perfect, and we all matter.