Gardening is one of the most rewarding, entertaining and healthy hobbies you can get into. It brings many positives along with it that stretch far beyond what you might initially assume. For some, gardening is a way of life, their way to escape from the rest of the world in their own little space. For this reason, we want to spread the word! We think you should feel these benefits too. That’s why we have listed our top 10 reasons to love (or start loving) gardening!
1) Good for the Mind –
Scientific evidence has shown that gardening is beneficial to those living, for example, with anxiety and depression. It offers a therapeutic and natural experience that is incredibly rewarding. The Autistic Gardener has paved the way for many people to see the psychological benefits of gardening and we would recommend checking him out to find out more! He’s already inspired many to adopt a green finger.
2) Teaches Integral Life Values –
As most plants and flowers do not grow overnight, one of the most important things you can learn gardening is patience. Gardening can be a great way to learn the value of hard work, patience, determination and caring for others.
3) Good for Your Physical Health –
Gardening certainly requires physical effort, just think of the calories that can be burnt when undertaking strenuous gardening activities such as digging and weeding. This helps to keeps you fit and lose weight, or simply just stay active. The Heart, Lung and Blood Institute are advocates of gardening and have officially recommended it as a lifestyle tip for battling high blood pressure!
4) Your Own Space, Exactly How you Want it –
Gardening is a chance to completely design and create your own space that you have almost full control over (of course no one can control the English weather!). You can share your creation with all of your friends and family, or keep it to yourself, its entirely up to you. Why not take a look at this article for tips and inspiration on how to create a private sanctuary to relax in? Many people have installed Summerhouses or Garden Rooms in their gardens to create a completely separate and private haven to admire their hard work from.
5) It Connects you to Nature –
Gardening allows you to focus on something that will give you a feeling of true achievement. It also brings you a lot closer to the creatures you’re sharing your garden with! Many gardeners even entirely build their gardens around what wildlife they want to attract.
6) Good Source of Vitamin D –
Exposure to sunlight and fresh air helps the body to naturally produce Vitamin D – which is vital for a healthy immune system. However, always be aware of the danger of overexposure to sunlight, especially if you’re not wearing sun lotion! If you are an avid gardener, perhaps think about splitting your time between the garden and a Garden Shed or Greenhouse.
7) Give Back to Nature –
We often talk about “giving back” to nature, but, rather than leaving it to commercial or Government schemes, we can all do our bit and give back to the environment by gardening. Planting wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs helps to create ecosystems to maintain a healthier environmental balance.
8) Source of Healthy, Organic Vegetables –
By growing your own vegetables you know exactly what has gone into them. Plus, you’ll save money on pre-packaged, commercially-grown produce. Our Victorian Wooden Greenhouses offer a traditional style timber-framed growing area for starting off seedlings. With your own indoor growing space you can vastly expand the types and varieties of plants you can grow.
9) It Lets you Build Relationships –
Building a garden with a friend, family member or partner is a rewarding bonding experience. You’ll work together on a project, whilst learning about each other every step of the way. This makes gardening a great tool for socializing and bonding with people.
10) It Provides Excellent Gifts –
Gifting store-bought plants and flowers is quite common, so imagine receiving a lovely gift knowing that the gifter had planted, nurtured, and grown it themselves!
Gardening offers a huge number of benefits and is a great way to express yourself. Each year as you look at your garden you will notice and appreciate how it has changed and grown. Finally, it will give you a huge sense of pride knowing that you were responsible.