Posted: January 22, 2024
It's a new year, so it’s that time that many of us wonder what we can do to improve ourselves. Whether you're looking to increase physical exercise, improve general health, or make positive mental health changes, gardening is a great way to achieve all of these things!
The bright sunny blooms of a sunflower will give any gardener feelings of pleasure and relaxation, Photo by K. Oaster
From houseplants to small flower plots to large vegetable patches, gardening is a great hobby for anyone of any age.
There are many psychological benefits that all gardeners of any type experience. Many people are aware of the joy and pleasure they feel when they're outside or in nature. Gardeners understand those feelings all too well. Perhaps it's why so many of us participate in some type of gardening. In the U.S. alone, about 1 in 3 people garden.
Connecting with the natural world, in general, helps relieve people from attention fatigue. Gardening is a great hands-on experience with nature. Working with the soil, smelling the plants and dirt, feeling the different textures, and seeing all the green foliage and flowers can help relax the mind and ground yourself. When you ground yourself, you reduce stress, anxiety, and even built-up anger.
Gardening can be a healthy tool to connect to the current moment and not be caught up in your mind. For many people, it can also be a place of spiritual or holistic practice. It's very relaxing to be surrounded by plants and nature, so many find their garden spaces or houseplant areas to be quiet or peaceful places for meditation or prayer.
Studies have shown that having a garden and/or owning house plants increases motivation and reduces fatigue. Taking care of plants involves having to water, weed, prune, etc. on a regular basis to keep the plant or garden alive and thriving. After weeks/months of all this work, the results are easy to see, and this will lead to increased confidence.
Hard work pays off with fruiting or flowering of a plant, bigger/more growth of a plant, and/or having your overall goal be achieved, thus increasing self-esteem. This is especially true in younger people or first-time hobbyists. The sense of achievement and learning new skills helps their self-esteem increase. As with many hobbies, the more you practice it, the better you become, the more information you learn, and the more skills you have underneath your belt.
Gardening also has some indirect positive benefits for your mental health. For example, those who garden tend to have increased strength and stamina compared to those who do not garden regularly. Exercising from gardening activities releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone, and this in turn leads to better memory, less anxiety, and feeling happier.
Another indirect benefit is eating healthier. Those who have vegetable patches and grow their own food are typically eating fruit/vegetables at their freshest points when the produce is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Many who garden organically consume less preservatives and pesticides than those who eat nonorganic fruits/vegetables.
Community gardens, garden clubs, etc. can be an excellent way to meet new people and expand your gardening skills. Those who belong to these groups tend to feel connectedness with group members and can learn new things at the same time. In studies of young people who come from broken homes, these garden communities have helped them feel safe and it gave them a sense of belonging. They felt less judged, and their self-efficacy and self-esteem improved greatly.
Gardens are also a fabulous meeting place for any kind of gathering. Think of weddings, book clubs, and classes. Being surrounded by beautiful greenery and nature can be therapeutic and can really bring people together and make them happy and relaxed.
All in all, gardening is a great hobby that can be very meaningful. People who garden typically live longer and happier lives. The benefits of gardening can be immediate and long-lasting. Daily gardeners have rated higher life satisfaction compared to those who don’t garden at all. It's a great hobby to help you feel motivated, productive, lead to greater confidence, and maybe even meet new people and friends. So, if you're thinking about trying something new this year, give gardening a thought. As you have read, there is nothing you can lose by doing so!
Kayla Oaster is a Penn State Master Gardener from Adams County.
Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County is located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204, Gettysburg, phone 334-6271.
Visit us on Facebook and Instagram at Penn State Master Gardeners in Adams County for our Master Gardeners for monthly videos. Timely and relevant topics will be discussed on a regular basis keeping readers up to date on current horticultural issues.
Master Gardener Hotline is open Wednesdays from 10am - 2pm. Please send an email (with pictures if possible) to adamsmg@psu.edu with your gardening questions, or stop by Penn State Extension, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.
