Our gardening columnist, Kim Thistle, created a list of 38 Reasons to Garden published in our February issue. Here, we present the top 10 reasons why you should get out there and play in the dirt.
1. It’s great exercise and helps to build strength.
2. Gardening decreases dementia risk and fights off depression.
3. You can grow your own food and offset that grocery bill.
4. Flowering plants attract birds, butterflies and bees to your property. These are the pollinators that keep our earth turning; give them a healthy home.
5. It builds community and combats loneliness. Just look at the community gardens that have sprung up and the friendships that have developed from them.
6. It encourages your children to become gardeners, and that is probably one of the most important benefits.
7. It helps to build up tolerance for and, according to some research, possible immunity to mosquito bites. (It’s the reward for enduring mosquito seasons!)
8. It gives you an appreciation for the true value of nutritious food.
9. Gardening activity increases calcium levels for bones and your immune system.
10. Use it to escape from housework. Hmmmm… clean the oven or weed the flower bed? Weeding wins, hands down.
