7 Reasons Everyone Needs a Garden

Nowadays, more and more people are taking up gardening as a hobby. You might be wondering what exactly it is that makes it so rewarding for them. Indeed, having a beautiful garden you can spend pleasant afternoons in while enjoying a colorful array of flowers is a wonderful thing. But there is so much more to gardening that makes it a worthwhile hobby to take up no matter who you are. Here are 7 of the many reasons why everyone needs a garden and actually use it.

It yields delicious produce

One of the biggest benefits of having a garden is the ability to grow your own produce. You don’t actually need to have a green thumb to get started with this. Even notorious houseplant killers can find vegetables that will thrive in the soil they have and survive with little care. But why would you bother, you might ask, when you can easily buy everything at the supermarket today?

If you’ve never tasted home-grown vegetables, then you will be very surprised when you pick your first tomatoes and realize just how much better they taste than those that have been sitting on the store shelves for days. Nothing compares to fresh produce that has literally just been picked, and all the food that you will prepare with these delicious vegetables will gain a richer flavor, too. In addition, you and your family will also be more likely to eat more vitamin-filled vegetables if they taste good.

Organic, healthy vegetables

Today, a lot of people pay special attention to where their food comes from. Unfortunately, most of the conventionally-grown produce cannot boast about being impeccable. A lot of chemicals are used in growing them and some of that inevitably get into your organism if you eat them. This is why the demand for organic produce is constantly growing. However, organic produce is more expensive, and for some people, it can be difficult to find or even unavailable.

Growing your vegetables at home will eliminate these concerns: you will be able to rest assured that your cucumbers and bell peppers are free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. You also won’t have to worry about contamination that can occur during the vegetables’ journey through the supply chain. Finally, the nutrient content of vegetables whose growth was sped up by synthetic fertilizers cannot compare to your veggies that grew naturally. Freshly picked produce always has more nutrients.

It makes you spend more time outside

Spending too much time indoors, sitting at a desk, is a crisis of the 21st century. It results in a slew of health issues, and it constantly keeps you tense and stressed out.

Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce stress by lowering your blood pressure and relieving your anxiety. The fresh air, the sunlight and the surrounding greenery relax your mind and simply make you feel better. So, even if you cannot travel or spend too much time outside in nature, utilizing your garden for relaxation is entirely possible. Taking up gardening will take you outside at least a few times a week but possibly even every day, which will naturally lower your stress levels.

Connecting with nature

Much of the world’s population lives in cities, rarely finding time to get out into nature. However, this continued alienation from our roots wreaks havoc on us. As we just mentioned, not spending enough time in nature worsens your mental health and it can feel suffocating.

This is why gardening is actually a recommended activity that can help fight depression. Regardless of what you’re growing in your garden, the greenery will make you feel connected with Mother Nature, and you’ll start learning about the world around you in a brand new way. Watching your plants grow and nurturing them can become your own way of meditation.

A rewarding experience

If you do it right, spending time in your garden and tending to your plants will not be a chore but an enjoyable way to spend time. If you get the right equipment, you will not have to struggle and feel frustrated but will be able to do all the garden work with ease and see positive results. For instance, a good hose reel from Hoselink will make watering seamless while a set of cute gardening tools will make the work fun.

Gardening is also a rewarding hobby because of the sense of achievement that it allows you to experience. You will see the fruits of your work if you put some effort into it, which will motivate you and make you feel accomplished. You will be able to take pride in the vegetables you grew yourself. It’s a great way to introduce something meaningful in our lives.

It serves as good exercise

As we mentioned earlier, people spend way too much time indoors, stationary. When the workday is over, it can be difficult to find the motivation to do exercise that you don’t find particularly interesting or enjoyable. However, physical activity is crucial for your overall health, so finding other ways to move your muscles is a good idea.

Coincidentally, gardening is a fantastic way to burn some calories. It is actually considered moderate to high-intensity exercise, so doing some garden work a few times a week will keep you in shape. This is yet another reason why having a garden is good for your health.

It saves you money in the long run

As we mentioned earlier, organic produce can be expensive. But even if you’re not buying the most expensive food at the organic section of the grocery store, you still spend a considerable amount of money on fruit and vegetables, some of which you end up throwing away.

Growing your own vegetables can thus save you some money on this front. Not only will the delicious vegetables be right there in your backyard for free (well, at the cost of your hard work), but you will also be less likely to throw any of them away when it was you who grew them.

You might think that you need a large plot of land to get started. However, that is far from the truth. Even the smallest garden can serve you well and make your life more colorful and meaningful. You will not only be left with delicious home-grown food to eat but also reap a bunch of other benefits, as you can see. Good luck!