It is extremely good for the environment helping to reduce pollution levels. It's also a way to save money, makes you look Gorgeous and encourages a healthy lifestyle.
The benefits of gardening start with a plot of soil and an individual seed that, through proper preparation of the soil, cultivating, and adequate watering will create an environment for the planted seed to germinate into a small plant.
Once the roots are established this plant grows into a healthy, vigorous plant. It will reward you with a healthy harvest equivalent to the amount of effort you are willing to put into your garden.
The benefits of having your own home garden are numerous.
Gardening is a great way to increase your exercise and lose weight.
You can burn as many calories in 45 minutes of gardening as you can in 30 minutes of aerobics, you are burning an average of 300 calories per hour, while heavy yard work can burn more than 600 calories per hour! Plus you are using many different muscle groups, thus increasing your flexibility and strength.
Engaging in regular physical activity like gardening is an excellent way to lower your risk of some cancers. It also provides the strength training important in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Put a gallon sprinkling can full of water in each hand and you got your 8-pound dumbbells. Finish off with lifting a wheelbarrow and you got your bicep workout.
Working in the garden reduces stress.
Digging in that dirt and pulling those unwanted weeds helps you to unwind. You become so focused on accomplishing the task that you forget about everything else.
It forces you to slow down, get fresh air and get your mind off the constant information overload we all experience, helping you to relax and appreciate the natural environment around you. You feel a sense of accomplishment in a job well done. While working in your garden the hustles and bustles of the day just pass you by like a warm summer breeze, refreshing and re-energizing your whole body.
Organic Gardening will teach you to have more Patience, Discipline, & Responsibility.
You can't rush nature. When you sow the seeds you can't make them sprout and grow faster than they are supposed to grow because you are limited on time and pressuring them to grow fast. They grow at the pace they were designed to grow at and according to the weather conditions God gives us. We all could use a lesson in slowing down. Studies show just viewing a garden or nature has healthy psychological benefits.
Gardening releases your creativity & requires you to use your head.
Choosing flower colors, plant varieties and where to put each one requires the use of your creative side and is a great brain workout. You can let your personality shine though in your garden.
Gardening contributes to physical health.
Activities such as digging, planting, weeding, and harvesting are all part of three types of physical activity: Endurance, Flexibility, and Strength, plus eating garden produce is good for you, the produce contains fiber, antioxidants, is low in calories and fat & includes many essential vitamins and minerals. The yellow, orange, red, green and purple colored fruits & vegetables generally contain the most phyto-chemicals and work in connection with other nutrients to protect against disease.
The satisfaction & accomplishment of knowing the vegetables you have grown yourself provide a healthier more nutritious diet for mind, body and soul and helps to create a healthier more satisfying life.
In addition when you grow your own food you know that what went into your soil was all natural and free of pesticides.
Fresh herbs are also a bonus from the garden. Herbs enhance the flavor of foods thereby reducing the use of salt and sugar. Most herbs are very easy to grow and herb growing is a great way to jump into gardening.
Gardening Motivates You.
The thought and anticipation of fresh roasted sweet corn, a vine ripe tomato, grilled vegetables, fresh strawberries & more motivates & encourages you to take care of your health while actually enjoying the activity that leads to it.
Gardening connects you with people, nature & the rhythm of life.
It's like walking down the street with a new puppy. Everybody talks to a gardener. The relationship that develops between plants, and people, and the basic human need of watching things grow, creates a sense of excitement, accomplishment and independence.
It's also a great activity to do with kids. Give them a section of the garden all their own. Some of the best lessons can be learned in the garden such as delayed gratification and don't leave a rake on the ground with the head pointing upwards.
Gardening can be especially beneficial for people with special needs or those recovering from illness. It promotes an increased range of motion, develops eye-hand coordination, improves motor skills and increases self esteem. In many cases it becomes a source of therapy for people with emotional problems.
Garden Produce is an excellent way to generate additional income.
"Gardening is a labor of love. Exercise is just plain labor,"
Have fun gardening. Relax and remember your garden doesn't have to be picture perfect all the time.
Resolve to have a garden this year. Whether it's a window box or an acre garden, you will be healthier for it.
