Many of us, whether we’re working from home or not, have found ourselves with some extra time on our hands. With all this extra time, I’ve recently taken up gardening as a hobby. It has been a great way for me to get fresh air and light physical activity, while still social distancing. In fact, my dad and I have been helping others by building garden beds for their homes. This makes me happy because I am directly helping people in my community grow their own produce!
Are there health benefits of gardening?
As you might guess, gardening has benefits for your physical health – getting outdoors, digging, and walking more, which are all great for our physical well being. But did you know that gardening also benefits your mental wellbeing?
For some, gardening has been shown to be a good stress-reliever. In fact, a study found that the cortisol (in short, our stress hormone) level of participants was lower after spending time in their gardens (4). Stress is linked to several chronic diseases, higher inflammation, a weaker immune system, and many other troublesome conditions (3). We all have stress, but if we could do an activity such as gardening to lower it- it may be worth a shot!
How do the health benefits of gardening work?
Experts suggest that this stress-lowering power may be due to the mindfulness-inducing effect that comes with gardening (1). Many people find that as they garden, their minds are so in-tune with what they are doing in the present moment that they forget what is troubling them! When your mind is focused only on the here-and-now and not wandering to other places, you are practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and promote a more positive view of life, among other benefits (2).
Gardening has been proven to give your self esteem a major boost (5)! There’s a reason people boast about being a #plantmom – it feels good to see your plants thriving from your daily care! Seeing a tiny seedling grow into a healthy plant feels like a huge accomplishment. As a bonus, if you grow vegetables and fruits, it feels so good to be able to provide garden-fresh produce to friends and family. Whether its flowers, vegetables, herbs, or trees and shrubs, growing a garden can provide a self-confidence boost!
One of the most beneficial effects of gardening is a stronger connection to the earth. It is all too easy nowadays to take the grocery stores full of food for granted and forget where our food really comes from. Gardening provides a gentle reminder of how much of our wellbeing we owe to the earth, how much work it is to grow fruits and vegetables, and how lucky we are to have access to nourishing food all year round. Feeling gratitude for these things is also beneficial to our mental health.
Who might experience the health benefits of gardening?
Not only does gardening have all these amazing benefits for adults, but it applies to children as well! Children feel that same self esteem boost that we do when they see their garden grow. In addition, this is a great activity to involve children in from start to finish because they are much more likely to try (and enjoy) these healthy treasures when they are part of the growing process!
How do I get started with gardening?
If you’re new to gardening, here are some beginner steps to take:
- Start by filling the cups of a compostable egg carton with soil (you can use any other compostable “cup-like” object you find around your house).
- Look at the directions that come with the seed for specific soil needs. Plant 1 or 2 seeds per cup, and ensure the soil is moist but not soaked. A spray bottle is best to use until the seedlings have appeared and are established.
Side note: to speed up the time it takes for your seeds to germinate, you can soak them! To do this, place seeds in a bowl of water overnight, then gently drain and pat them dry dry in the morning. Plant them as directed above!
- Place the egg carton in a warm sunny spot and keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge. Keep seedlings inside until they are established (have sturdy roots that can stand up to the harsher outdoor climate). This may take a few weeks, depending on the plant.
- While seedlings are growing, choose a sunny spot to plant your garden. Plan to dig out the bed and fill it with soil, or build / purchase a raised garden bed. If this is your first time gardening, keep your bed on the smaller side; 3-4 feet across and long enough to plant 1-2 crops. Make sure there will be enough room between crops for them to grow fully!
Tip: look into the type of plant you’ll be growing so you have an idea of how big it will get and how much sunlight it will need.
- After a few weeks of growing your seedlings indoors, and when the risk of frost is over for the season (hopefully very, very soon!), go ahead and cut the egg carton cups apart, and plant them!
- You may start “hardening” your seedling first by placing it outside for a couple hours each day, lengthening how long they spend outdoors every few days. This can help prevent the plant being too delicate for the outdoor planting.
- Once planted, follow the watering directions for the plant you’ve chosen, and tend to it carefully! While the plant is very young and delicate it may be more fragile and easy to damage.
- Enjoy the wonderful benefits that gardening brings to your life – both physically and mentally!
Starting a garden can be fun and therapeutic. This is my garden currently- a work in progress!
I would love to see photos of yours! Tag me in a photo on Instagram: @maiyaahluwalia.rd or email me a photo.
