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Gardening: what a passion!

Gardening: what a passion!

All the benefits of gardening for beginners and advanced

Nowadays, the world is trying to be ever greener and after months of lockdown due to Covid-19, everyone, some more some less, tried to get into gardening. Whether it's simply colourful balcony plants, or more complicated indoor plants - or, why not, a vegetable garden in the backyard or countryside - we've all had that moment when we started to take care of flowers and plants, or at least we thought about it.

If you have, or would like to have, a green thumb, you can't miss this guide to the benefits of gardening and, if you want to get started, some of the tools you'll need!

 1. Gardening boosts self-esteem

With a busy lifestyle, your self-esteem is easy to drop. Taking up gardening can help you see yourself differently: plant your seeds, water, weed and fertilize your garden, and watch it grow; you'll start to see a new person who can grow things and who is a little more in tune with the earth. As more plants start to grow, your self-esteem will also improve; taking care of your plants will give you great satisfaction and you will have endless opportunities to learn new skills. 

2. Gardening is good for the whole family

Gardening can be a solitary activity or an opportunity to bond with family and friends. In addition to helping seniors create a routine and having good effects on memory, gardening has special benefits for children; in fact, exposure to the earth has been linked to numerous health benefits.

 3. Gardening exposes you to vitamin D

Vitamin D has many benefits for our bodies, increasing calcium levels and improving bones and immune health. In 2014, an Italian study, published on the National Institutes of Health website, found that exposure to sunlight helps older adults achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels. What does this have to do with gardening? Well, while you're tending to your plants on the terrace or in the garden, you can soak up the sun at the same time: fun and health in one activity! But don't forget to protect yourself: your skin with sun cream and your eyes with sunglasses!

4. Gardening improves your mood

A study in the Netherlands suggests that gardening is an excellent remedy against stress, even better than other hobbies! How did they find out? Participants were asked to complete a stressful task and then choose between staying inside and reading a book or going outside and gardening. The group who chose to garden eventually had a better mood and their blood tests showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Read more about why gardening is good for your health.

To make it even more pleasant to be outside, our advice is to decorate your garden or terrace with some nice decorations.

5. Gardening helps you stay fit

How can gardening help you stay fit? Gardening is exercise: you do small tasks such as cutting grass or raking which fall into the category of light to moderate exercise. It takes you so much that you don't even realize you are sweating. If you take care of your plants in the garden you will also have to pull weeds, pick up the various plants and tools, and bend over. This is an effective way to build new muscles and to increase strength, endurance and flexibility.

6. Gardening helps sleep

Researchers have found that gardening may help people sleep better. In fact, being outdoors has a pleasant side effect: it exhausts you. But as well as making you tired, it also helps you clear your head of any anxious or stressful thoughts. If you garden every day, you might start sleeping a lot better every night. 

 

To start your gardening adventure, visit Better Homes and Gardens or the National Gardening Association for helpful tips on the many varieties of plants and flowers available. Visit WowPorium to find all the original tools you'll need!

Maria Schembri

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