Gardening for Life
Guest writer, Maria Cannon offers quick tips on how and why to create an outdoor oasis
Gardening is a fun and healthy pastime that pulls double duty for the environment. Every green space we create makes urban nature that much better. Whether you choose a decorative hedge garden, something ornamental, or make it a community project, gardening offers benefits for your overall mental and physical health.
Here are a few ways to start your outdoor project off on the right foot:
● Bring in the bees. Bees pollinate flowering plants. Because of this, we need more bees in both the city and the country. Consider ordering a bee post, which Rewild My Street recommends for those that live in the city or suburbs.
● Plant a variety of edible and non-edible greenery. The Evening Standard asserts that gardening takes lots of planning. Fortunately, it’s not that hard if you know when to plant and what to start with. Begin your garden with both edible and non-edible plants, and you can build on your greenery each season as you grow more comfortable.
● Don’t overlook the value of a great garden. If you’re planning a vegetable garden, you can save a significant sum at the supermarket. But there are other ways that creating an outdoor space has value. A well-landscaped property may sell for more when it’s time to put it on the market.
● Have the right tools. When you’re just starting out gardening, you’ll want to make sure to gather your tools at the beginning. This includes gloves, pruning shears, a hand trowel, a garden hose, and a wheelbarrow.
● Make it a community effort. Just as bringing wildlife into your neighborhood is a community effort, so too can gardening be a social endeavor. Get together with some of your neighbours to see if they’d be interested in pitching in. You may just find that those that live in your area are more than willing to share the burden and the spoils.
Why gardening Is good for mind and body
Gardening has many benefits for people of all ages and abilities. Not only is it a great exercise — Saga Magazine notes that gardening burns calories and tones muscles — planting a garden can also reduce stress and anxiety. Furthermore, having a vegetable garden gives you and your family access to fresh, healthy foods when you need them most.
There is no wrong way to garden. Whether you choose to plant flowers for visual appeal or want to eat outdoors at home, the things you do with the dirt in your own little patch matter to your mental and physical health. So grab some gloves, and get to work.
Image: Raised beds, Veja/Shutterstock
Bio
Maria Cannon believes we’re never too young to dedicate ourselves to a hobby. She created Hobby Jr. to encourage young people to find a hobby they love. Maria has suffered from depression and anxiety for years. Her hobbies - gardening, quilting, sewing, and knitting - play a major role in maintaining her mental health.
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