Gardening has many benefits to our health – both physical and mental. Large scale gardens with lawns and mature trees are lovely, but if all you have is a balcony with some pot plants, you won’t miss out on the good fruit that gardening brings.
There is a sense of accomplishment found in planting, growing and harvesting fruit, vegetables and flowers. The ability to see something through from beginning to end can increase feelings of gratification.
The physical benefits of moving your body and spending time in the fresh air and sunshine reduces stress levels and boosts mood. A recent article in House and Garden explores the link between gardening and mental health. See the link at the end of this post to visit it.
Endurance and strength increases over time and more difficult tasks become easier if gardening becomes a regular activity in your week.
There is no age limit for reaping the benefits of gardening. Gardening has been associated with a lower prevalence of dementia (1). You may have seen Oma’s Applesauce creator, Jason van Genderen, on Social Media with his tea cup garden activity for elderly people who still want the benefits of gardening, but are more limited in their mobility. (2)
For young children, gardening holds the benefit of seeing where their food comes from, reduced screen time and a different form of self-expression to more traditional art and craft.
If you don’t have a large garden, there may be a local community garden space that you can join. An alternative to a vegie plot is pots on a balcony which can easily hold tomato plants, dwarf trees and flowers. Gardening is a way to connect to the earth. In a time when many activities require a screen and electricity, it’s a good activity with diverse benefits to both mental wellbeing and physical health.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/
2 https://www.facebook.com/omasapplesauce/
House and Garden Link: https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/gardening-for-happiness-mental-health
