Gardening offers many benefits for your physical and mental health, and it can also help the planet.
With spring right around the corner, have you started thinking about your garden this year? Gardening does more than just create a beautiful outdoor space. It’s also a great way to nurture your physical and mental well-being while caring for the planet.
Physical health benefits of gardening
A day in the garden can be a full-body workout. You perform squats and lunges while weeding. Pushing a wheelbarrow and carrying bags of mulch works your large muscle groups and can help build heart health. Digging. planting. raking and using a push mower can strengthen your muscles. Gardening can also improve your balance and flexibility.
Time outdoors nourishes your body. Sunlight boosts vitamin D levels, which support bone health and immune function. People are more active and thus tend to breathe deeper when they’re outside. This can help your lungs work more efficiently and leaves you feeling more refreshed.
Mental and emotional well-being
Research consistently shows that gardening reduces stress, depression and anxiety, while enhancing creativity and attention. Watering plants, raking and pulling weeds provide a calming, mindful focus. Gardening awakens the senses: the colors and textures of flowers and foliage, herbal aromas and the feel of your hands in the dirt. Working in the garden grounds you to the earth.
When you garden, you can grow along with your plants. Every season offers a chance to experiment, make mistakes, improve and learn more about the health of your soil and plants. Watching your plants thrive brings a sense of accomplishment, and harvesting homegrown fruits and vegetables means fresher, healthier food for you and your family.
Because gardening and time spent in nature boost mental and physical health, “some countries, like New Zealand and Canada, allow doctors to write ‘green prescriptions’ encouraging their patients to spend time outdoors,” said Colorado State University.
Environmental health benefits
A thriving garden doesn’t just support you, it helps your local ecosystem too. Gardens that feature native plants and organic practices provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators and other beneficial insects. Plant roots stabilize soil, reducing erosion and managing stormwater runoff. Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and release oxygen, helping to keep the air clean and reduce global warming.
Social connections
Gardening can build community. Take a local workshop, chat with neighbors over the fence, visit a Master Gardener clinic, join a garden club or get to know a local public garden. Sharing ideas and resources with others strengthens social bonds and offers emotional support that enhances overall well-being. Here are several upcoming garden-related workshops, a large listing of Northwest garden societies and clubs, and a list of Puget Sound public gardens.
Read more
- Growing healthier together: The benefits of gardening for body and mind, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
- Dig into the benefits of gardening, Mayo Clinic Health System.
- Three of the best benefits of gardening, Colorado State University.
