People look forward to gardening every day because it’s a rewarding hobby. You get to raise plants that would remain seeds without you and sometimes enjoy the literal fruits of your labor after a harvest. Depending on the size of your garden, you may spend a couple of hours taking care of it or check on it a few times each day.
Check out the value of gardening as a hobby and read about these ways people thrive alongside the plants in their garden. Whether you only grow a few flowers or have sprawling rows of vegetables, you already enjoy all these simple ways gardening changes your life.
Benefits of Gardening as a Hobby
Plants Clean Your Air
Most people learned in school that trees filter CO2 out of the air. They absorb CO2 and exchange it for fresh oxygen, cleaning the atmosphere a little bit at a time. Smaller plants do the same thing, even in your backyard.
Don’t worry about having to grow the traditional spider plants to breathe fresh air in your yard. You can also grow plants like gerbera daisies and peace lilies. Most indoor plants that typically clean indoor air can grow in your outdoor garden without an issue.
Gardening Relieves Stress
It’s no mistake that you feel better after you finish taking care of your garden for the day. The routine of tending your plants and working with your hands helps relieve even the worst stress.
Dutch researchers proved this scientifically with a study focused on stressed-out groups gardening or reading. The gardening group experienced lower cortisol levels, which is the hormone related to stress. Making a positive change in the world banishes stress and improves your stress levels.
Your Heart Gets Stronger
Other scientists were curious about how gardening affects your heart, so a team of researchers with the British Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a study. Their results found that gardening counts as a moderate-intensity exercise, which reduces heart attack odds by 30% for people over 60 years old.
It’s an easy, low-impact exercise for those who can’t jog on the treadmill or access a gym.
You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Gardening as a hobby also helps the planet in more ways than one. If you grow food in your garden, like tomatoes and lettuce, you’re also reducing your carbon footprint.
When you eat veggies from your backyard, you’re spending less money on pre-packaged and transported products at the grocery store.
Currently, the food industry is responsible for emitting 26% of global CO2 waste by transporting food from suppliers to grocery stores. Stop funding this ecological waste by growing what you can in your garden for your meals.
Your Self-Esteem Grows
Anyone who has raised a successful garden knows how great it feels to see it bloom and harvest your food. That confidence comes from your self-esteem, which quickly grows as you watch your garden flourish.
The best way to experience this benefit is to incorporate new garden plants into your routine and challenge your skills. This year, grow something you’ve never tried, like a vine plant or fruit tree. As you adapt to new gardening habits, your self-esteem will flourish alongside your plants.
Growing Plants Helps Your Brain
Your brain adapts to your gardening habits more than you think. A group of researchers published their findings recently after tracking over 3,000 subjects for 16 years. They found that when these subjects gardened regularly, their risk for dementia dropped by 36-47%, which is a massive difference for those with dementia in your family history.
Although much about dementia and Alzheimer’s remains a mystery, gardening requires people to practice critical functions like dexterity, strength and problem-solving. Lifestyle factors could be an essential way to avoid brain diseases or delay their progression.
Gardens Help Local Wildlife
Native plants encourage bees to pollinate local plants and improve the environment for local wildlife. Gardens also provide shelter for smaller insects who need protection from predators and the summer sun.
Think about growing more native plants this year in your garden to promote the well-being of your regional environment.
Experience Gardening as a Hobby for Yourself
You can experience all of these gardening benefits by getting outside this year. Grow your favorite veggies, local plants and more. You’ll love how you help yourself and the environment with an easy and fun hobby you can start today.
