6 Simple ways to incorporate Gardening this YEAR
You don’t need a green thumb to start a garden. That’s not something I had when I first began.
I was mid-conversation with my sister, and we were speaking on another topic, when we randomly started discussing gardening. She said, “Remember, Mom used to have a garden in the front yard, and you and I used to go out and help her?”
She elaborated on how my mom had this garden in the middle of the yard, where the land was uneven. The garden was set on something like an island. “You don’t remember”, and I responded, “Actually, no, I don’t.”
She continued informing me, “Mom used to have flowers out there, and we would both go out there with her to help water and plant everything. She had bricks lined on a retaining wall near the house, and we used to take care of the plants there too.” This is to say, I didn’t remember any of this.
She kept talking and reminded me that “Papa”, my daddy’s dad, also had a garden. However, his was a vegetable garden. She continued, “We used to go to Papa’s garden. He picked fresh fruits and vegetables that we could eat. We even used to help him with his garden sometimes.”
Then, just a few weeks later, I spoke with my mom, and she told me about how her mom and grandmother also had plants, fruit trees, and a full garden. Although this time, these two gardens were before my time, and I hadn’t remembered or experienced any of them.
I didn’t get all the tips and hacks from them. I didn’t learn the best way to plant things, how to enrich the soil, and all the good old remedies, I could’ve learned from them. Unbeknownst to me, each one passed down their love of gardening, which could explain why I enjoy it even now.
6 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START A GARDEN THIS YEAR.
When I started, I was learning a lot. Hence, I wouldn’t say I seriously had a green thumb. I watched, read, experimented, and practiced a lot.
I am by no means perfect when it comes to gardening, though I do like doing things my way without following every rule because that can take the fun out of it. Here are 6 reasons to start a garden, even if you’re not great at it.
Gardening has health benefits.
Gardening improves your physical and mental health. Spending time in nature and outdoors helps to improve your immune system. Though most people only think about their immune system during the colder months, gardening is a great way to remain healthy year-round. Gardening lowers stress, aiding in a healthy immune system.
Including lower levels of low-grade inflammation that can increase risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.
Gardening increases your sustainability.
Whether you compost your food scraps at home or find local companies, you are decreasing your waste footprint. Composting will promote healthier soil, and your plants will love it!
When you grow your food, you decrease the need to shop for produce. This results in less packaging and fuel that goes into the environment.
Gardening helps you relax.
Gardening is peaceful; it can help you reduce stress. After a long day, I have found that just walking out into my garden and looking at the plants helps to calm and soothe my mind.
It is proven to lighten your mood and reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Gardening keeps you on the move.
Gardening keeps your body moving. It keeps you on the go. You’re never sitting still, even when you are planting. You’re constantly in motion, which helps to keep you active. Plus, being outside in nature helps ease the mind and release tension.
Gardening is a workout that promotes strength, flexibility, and calorie burning. You will certainly get your exercise in and have a full workout.
Gardening helps you create community.
Gardening constantly keeps you moving and on your toes. You’ll always think of new ideas and ways to implement new things. Yearly, you will add more to your garden and watch it flourish. These beautiful displays will not be for your eyes only.
Gardening will bring your neighbors to your yard. Likewise, it will also draw you to other yards. You will have more people to chat with about gardening. Therefore, you can bounce ideas off each other, share and taste fresh food, give away plants, and share seeds with others.
There’s nothing better than growing your own things.
You’ll see how things grow from initial concept to overall harvest. You see your plans come to life when you plan out every season, because gardening never stops. Since the garden is rapidly changing, you’re always planning the next season in the current season.
But that’s the best part! You always have something to look forward to. You always know what’s coming up next, even if it doesn’t work out as expected. There’s always room to try again the next season with the lessons you’ve learned from the previous season. Though even if it doesn’t work, there are a million other plants out there that you can try.
Gardening is not only for those with a green thumb. Whether you’re new to gardening or know a few things, gardening has more benefits than anything. You get to see your garden throughout the season, and it helps you be more creative, learn, increase your patience, and work on your green thumb.
When you start gardening, a green thumb is not essential. Gardening is a year-round full-time job that doesn’t require insurmountable experience. You will get better and develop your gardening skills each season over time. Are you looking to start a garden? Then start yours right now.
