Gardening

Gardening is a great pastime and a fun activity for the entire family. Gardening gives you the opportunity to spend time in nature, beautify your environment and grow vegetables so delicious that your neighbors will be jealous. It is also a great way to build a better relationship with your children, create many memories that they will have for a lifetime. In addition, gardening is also great exercise and a good stress reliever. 

Benefits of Gardening:

1.       Exercise:  Gardening will move your body in different ways and improve your strength and stamina.  Continuing to care for a garden is a healthy habit that will build short-term and lifelong physical health benefits.  It is an effective form aerobic and of resistance training, if you do it regularly through the summer. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that if you garden for 30-45 minutes you can burn up to 150 calories. 

2.       Relieves stress and anxiety:  Gardening is a way to relax and manage your stress.  Getting out in nature will help to restore a positive mood and help boost general mental well-being!  It helps us remain grounded and lets us focus on creating something.

3.       Creates family time together:  There is a significant benefit for families to get out and garden together.  It helps teach children a new skill that they can use in the future. If a child gets to design and plant their own little space, it helps build their personal identity and their creativity.  Gardening also will build memories as you and your children get out there and interact with each other, talking and learning together.

4.       Provides nutritious veggies:  Tending to a garden means you will have access to foods that you know are healthful.  Food that you have grown yourself will just taste better. It will have no additives or harmful insecticides--all natural!  Having the veggies there handy, will make it easier for you and your family to eat more veggies and learn new ways to have them in your meals. This will help your family learn healthy eating habits that will benefit them throughout their life.

Enjoy your time gardening, trying new vegetables, and spending needed time with your family and nature.