Benefits Of Gardening
Greta Thunberg, climate change, Australian wildfires, deforestation…everywhere you look, the global environment is dominating the news — often in worrying ways.
And if it’s not the environment we’re being warned about, it’s our health; we’re forever being advised to keep fit, to eat healthily, avoid stress, save the planet. It’s a big ask!
But one surprisingly simple way that benefits both yourself and the environment is gardening.
You don’t need to be an expert gardener, a Sir David Attenborough, or even an Alan Titchmarsh to enjoy the many benefits of gardening that we will reveal in a moment, All it takes is a few basic garden tools, a little know-how or a little study, and you’ll find yourself you’re away!
So if you’re looking to do your bit for the environment or get some exercise back — even if you just want to tame that unruly patch of grass behind your house — check out our top ten reasons on the importance of gardening and why you should start, then go get those fingers green!
Gardening has Healthy Benefits
Regular gardening sessions can help relieve stress and boost self-esteem. Gardening can also improve your immunity, heart health and brain health.
It can even lower the risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s, and significantly improve your mental health. Gardening is a labor of love that offers benefits in all areas of life.
Gardening Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Studies from researchers have shown that even just half-hour spent gardening can help lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone so having a little less of it in our bodies can only be a good thing.
Become immersed in activities;
- Digging, to replace garden turf
- Sowing seeds for the new season
- Planting your favourite spring flowers
- Pruning overgrown stems
Whatever else needs doing can also be a good way of promoting mindfulness, of living in the moment, helping with mental health and forgetting about day-to-day worries in your memory.
Gardening Keeps you Fit
Gardening is a great way to stay fit and healthy. Studies have shown that gardens can reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve mental clarity, and even help prevent coronary disease and colon cancer.
Additionally, gardens can help maintain a healthy weight and support a healthy immune system.
Gardening has many mental benefits. It can help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as improve mood and cognitive function.
Working productively in the garden increases serotonin levels, causing people to be happier throughout the day and improving their mental health overall.
Gardening is also an excellent activity for practicing mindfulness, which is beneficial to overall well-being. Gardening can also help keep you physically fit.
Studies have shown that gardening activities can help improve strength, flexibility, and balance.
Working in the garden can also help increase your heart rate, which can help you burn calories and improve your overall fitness level. Additionally, gardens can help you get the recommended amount of daily physical activity, which can help you stay fit and healthy.
Finally, gardening can help you get the nutrients you need from fresh produce. Growing your own fruits and vegetables can help you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.
Eating fresh produce can also help reduce your risk of certain diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Gardening Replaces Going to the Gym!
Is gardening good exercise? In short Yes.
Gardening may generally be seen as a sedentary pursuit for older generations, but mowing the lawn, digging, planting, and handling a wheelbarrow are all excellent ways to burn a few calories and keep your heart in good condition.
The American National Institutes of Health have suggested that doing between 30-45 minutes of gardening three to five times per week in nature’s gym is as good as working out in a ‘proper’ gym.
Gardening Reduces Risks of Strokes & Heart Attacks
There are a whole host of diseases and health risks that gardens can help lower the risk of. Research has shown that getting out and active in your garden can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 30%; gardens can lower the risk of heart attacks by 12% as well.
Gardens are Good for Bone Health & Body
Something else that getting into gardening can minimise is the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that leads to weaker bones. Regularly using your hands, arms, and legs as you tend to your garden will not only give you a good workout, it’ll keep your bones stronger for longer.
Your Garden Reconnects You to Nature
If you’re living in a densely-populated area or a social city, it can be challenging to find opportunities to connect with nature. Fortunately, gardening can be an effective form of horticultural therapy that allows you to create a natural space where you can surround yourself with grass, flowers, and earth.
Through horticultural therapy, gardening provides a way for people to engage with nature and find peace in its beauty and elemental form. It allows individuals to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and create a peaceful sanctuary in their own backyard.
Gardening can also provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment, as you watch your plants grow and thrive under your care.
By incorporating the therapy as family medicine into your lives, you can find a renewed sense of connection that links natural world. Gardening can be a powerful tool for reducing stress, improving mood, and promoting overall well-being.
So, if you’re looking to escape the concrete jungle and find a way to connect with nature, consider starting your own garden today.
Gardening is Very Satisfying Work
It always feels good to create something from scratch by yourself or with family. Millions of people and their family spend their spare time flexing their creative muscle by social activities, baking, knitting, and gardening.
Your garden is yours to design and brings to life.
Gardening can help grow a lot of things, including senses of satisfaction, purpose, pride, and responsibility. Not only are you taking a barren space and fill your gardens with colourful life you’re also responsible for the upkeep of that life.
Learn How to Be More Patient in Life
If you’re looking to find ways to be more patient in life, gardening can be a great place to start. When you choose to grow a garden, you quickly realize that it won’t grow overnight. However, this is part of the appeal, as it allows you to witness the slow and steady progress of nature.
In our fast-paced society, having your own garden space can be a valuable escape from the hustle and bustle of daily living. It provides an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
Additionally, watching your hard work come to fruition can be a priceless experience, as it teaches you the value of patience and persistence.
Through gardening, you can find a sense of peace and tranquility that is often hard to come by in our busy lives. It allows you to connect with nature and find joy in the simple things.
So, if you’re looking to find ways to be more patient, consider starting your own garden and enjoying the many benefits it has to offer.
Good Source of Vitamin D
Getting out outdoors in Glasgow has one big natural benefit for our bodies: vitamin D. We get it from the sun and, as well as being another way to help prevent osteoporosis, it can help keep everything from our teeth to our immune system and lungs working well.
As vitamin D deficiency has been linked to sleep problems, getting it from doing some gardening can also assist in getting a good night’s rest.
It Benefits the Environment
Maintaining gardens can bring big benefits to your local environment, despite being just one person on a planet of billions. The more plants, shrubs, bushes, and trees you have, the cleaner the air around you.
Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen, which can significantly reduce air pollution.
Gardens can also help maintain your local ecosystem, attracting and sustaining wildlife, from birds to earthworms. If you are concerned about the threat of honeybee extinction, planting a few pollen-and-nectar-rich plants in your garden can attract honeybees, helping them to survive.
This can be a simple yet effective way to support the local ecosystem and enhance the beauty of your garden.
If you live in a loud, built-up area filled with traffic noise, schools, and other noise pollution sources, gardens can help form a natural noise barrier. Trees and bushes can significantly reduce noise levels, making your house a quieter and more relaxed place to be.
By maintaining gardens, you can help to improve the local environment and make a positive impact on the world around you.
It Helps Add Value to Your House
The benefits of having a good-looking garden teeming with life and colour are numerous, including increasing the overall value of your property. Depending on where you live, a well-kept garden can add up to £2500 to your property’s value, providing a significant return on investment.
In fact, a well-maintained garden can generally offer a three or fourfold return on your investment, making it a smart financial decision. So, not only does having a beautiful garden provide aesthetic benefits, but it can also offer financial benefits as well.
So there you have it: ten surprisingly enormous benefits just from pottering around in your garden.