There is nothing quite like the feeling that comes from having a garden. You have this relaxing feeling while working with plants and stepping away from the world as you know it. There’s also the feeling of elation when you see life blooming in your backyard. You feel prideful and confident about these plants growing stronger. Not to mention the feeling of having rich, natural produce that can provide you, your family, and others around you with delicious and nutritious meals. There really is a pleasantness that comes from gardening, much like the quote from The Secret Garden.
You might wonder if gardening really leaves you feeling happy and relaxed. It’s a fast-paced, stressful world out there, but all the work that goes into gardening like digging, lifting, weeding, watering, harvesting, moving, and planting isn’t only great for your physical well-being but your mental health as well. Just getting your hands dirty for a small chunk of time every day is enough to produce the much-needed serotonin, which is the chemical that makes you feel happy. This not only comes from the work you’re doing but also from a mycobacterium that’s typically found in soil.
There is a trend in Japan called “forest bathing.” Simply put, this is where people are immersing themselves in their outdoor work as their way to unwind and refresh themselves. If this is helping people in Japan, surely it can translate to a garden of your own. When you are out there, you disconnect from distractions. You become more mindful of what is immediately surrounding you. Even weeding a garden can accomplish this while improving your concentration. That’s right; because you are focusing on these tiny, unwanted plants, you are actually overcoming something that you have likely been struggling with.
All of this, and there is still the sentimental attachment you get toward a garden. Why not? You’re putting in all of this effort with your plants, which only makes you feel responsible for their survival from seed to dinner plate. Caring for something else besides yourself is special, and that alone might trigger those happy feelings in your brain.
How could we forget one of the biggest health benefits of a garden? By controlling how the plants grow, you ensure that you aren’t using any toxic chemicals that may pose a danger to you or someone else, and you also get to maximize the plant’s production. Nutrient-rich, organic fruits and vegetables are a huge plus. Also, there is no competition between the taste of what you grew yourself and the one that you bought at the store. Store-bought fruits and vegetables mean that something was grown hundreds, even thousands, of miles away.
This produce then takes days to get to your supermarket, and then it takes a few more to get on the shelf, which means much of the quality is already lost. You get health benefits when you eat fresh fruits and vegetables right from the garden because of all of those vitamins and far fewer chemicals, and you get to save money on groceries as well. Think about what you spend the most on at the grocery store. It’s usually fresh produce and meats, which makes trying to eat “the freshest foods available” a bit of a hassle on your budget. And again, the exercise and stress relief that you get from gardening are amazing benefits, too.
All of this would be exactly what you’d be experiencing right now-instead of reading this atrticle—had your garden flourished. Maybe you haven’t had a garden, though. You might have had a couple of houseplants that died on you. You might not have even considered taking care of any type of plant because you do not know what plants need.
