8 Reasons Why You Should Try Gardening

338

Now that we know the essential tools for gardening, we’ll delve more into the reasons why you should start gardening. I mean, out of thousands and unique hobbies, why gardening? What can you get off of gardening?

Is Gardening For You?

All my adult life, I’ve been so bad at keeping houseplants alive. So bad that I just ditched live plants and bought fake plants (I know!). However, a few years later (you can blame Instagram for that), my interest in plants was renewed. I started small – I grew a few low-maintenance plants and some succulents. So, was I successful in keeping them alive? Yes! With patience and a bit of research, I was able to grow/keep them. You see, with the right information and persistence, gardening is definitely for everyone.

Why You Should Start Gardening

If you’re a budding gardener and want to desperately have a green thumb, here are some reasons why you should try gardening:

Therapeutic

Planting and cultivating plants is just good for your health. According to University of Washington’s Urban Greening Research, “Studies in health care settings show a link between nature and healing. Nature contact may serve to supplement or augment medical treatment and therapy. Both passive exposure to landscapes and more active interactions with nature provide mental and physiological benefits that contribute to healing and therapy.“

Keeps You Moving

You know what’s good for your body? Gardening. Why? Because it keeps you moving, it keeps you active. In some ways, gardening is a form of exercise. According to WebMD, by pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc., you can burn 200-400 calories per hour! Even by raking and bagging leaves, you can burn 350-450 calories. Pretty awesome, huh?

Saves You Cash

Gardening, in a lot of ways, saves you cash. How? Well, if you plant herbs, fruit, and vegetables, you can harvest them and won’t have to buy them again (well, not ever, haha) from the market. And, since gardening burns calories, that’s like going to the gym without having to pay a membership fee.

Healthy Food At Your Own Home

The great part about gardening is that you have control of what you plant and what you put in your garden. With the growing concern of various chemicals being used in food supplies; the demand for organic produce is also thriving. You can also be assured that everything you get is fresh and safe.

Good for the Little Ones

Yes, it’s not only good for adults but for kids too. Gardening is a great way to bond with kids. It teaches them responsibilities (taking care of plants), stimulates their senses (tactile, smell,etc.,) and valuable life skills, like taking care of the environment.

Expands Your Network

This may be unusual but you can actually expand your network through gardening. Connect with other gardeners, join groups and exchange tips about gardening. You can even join conventions or expos.

Helping The Environment

One of the greatest things about gardening is while you’re getting benefits from it – you also help the environment. By gardening, we can truly “go green” to benefit the earth. Plants act as highly effective air cleaners, absorbing carbon dioxide plus many air pollutants while releasing clean oxygen and fragrance. Also, a dense cover of plants and mulch holds soil in place, reducing erosion and keeping sediment out of streams, storm drains, and roads.

Perfect for Instagram

It may be a bit weird, but gardening is perfect for Instagram. You can use it for your ‘gram, and really, a garden is visually appealing. If you’re not really into gardening, but you love Instagram, then thinking about how plants would look good in your photos is motivation.

With that said, I seriously hope you can try gardening. It may not be easy – it will even take time, money, effort (maybe some blood and tears), and sweat, but once you see the fruit of your labor (literally and metaphorically), all your hard work will surely pay off.