Why Do We Garden?

You see them everywhere you look, each having its own unique appearance-gardens. You also see numerous books, Web sites, and other gardening resources filled with all the ins and outs and how-tos of gardening. But seldom do you ever see anything about why we garden. Why is it so many people love this pastime? As one of these people, I thought it might be time to shed some light on this age-old question, at least as far as my reasons go. The reasons for gardening can be just as unique as the garden or gardener themselves. Therefore, most of the answers to why we garden are only generally speaking.

Why do we garden? It's good for your health. Gardening has actually been found to lower blood pressure, relieve stress, and provide the body with adequate physical workouts. Gardening helps contribute to healthy living. When practiced on a regular basis, gardening can lower blood pressure and even cholesterol. A garden can prevent many health problems and alleviate others, such as depression or osteoporosis. Gardening gives all muscle groups a good workout, from your legs, arms, and buttocks to your stomach, neck, and back. Gardening can also contribute to weight loss as many gardening chores help the body burn fat and calories.

In addition to physical health, many people garden to enhance their mental health. Gardens are powerful mood stimulators. They are filled with all sorts of sights, sounds, textures, scents, and tastes, stimulating all of our senses. Colors in the garden stimulate sight and various colors have a huge impact on our emotions. For instance, green is relaxing, blue lowers respiration and red increases it. Our sense of sound can be easily stimulated in the garden from the tranquil trickling of water fountains, the lulling music of wind chimes, and even the sweet chirping of birds. Sounds can be extremely relaxing and good for your overall peace of mind. While the different textures of garden plants, from soft and fuzzy to rough and spiky, stimulate our sense of touch, the various edible plantings from the vegetable garden quench our taste buds. Any or all of these relieve and reduce unwanted stress. And as a bonus, long-forgotten memories can be stimulated as well.

Why do we garden? Gardening connects you with others as well as with nature. Gardening is a hobby that can be experienced by all; there's no preference or prejudice. Everyone benefits. Gardening can be enjoyed and practiced by everyone in the family, regardless of age. Gardens may take time to grow, but they can grow with you. You're never too young or too old to garden. Kids love helping out in the garden, especially when they can get their hands dirty. Gardening teaches young people invaluable skills and can lift self-esteem in people of any age. Natural environments stimulate positive feelings. Best of all, they allow you to always have something in life to look forward to. There's nothing more satisfying or more fulfilling than the garden in full bloom.

Why do we garden? Many of us garden for knowledge. The more you garden, the more you learn and want to learn. From hands-on gardening to books and more, gardening opens our minds to discovery. Gardeners learn from one another. Gardeners learn about weather, plants, soil, and more. Gardening teaches us how to get in touch with our inner selves. Why do we garden? Gardening allows us to let our creative juices flow. In our gardens, we are free to explore, experiment, and express ourselves. Gardens are living works of art. Why do we garden? It's addictive, but in a good way. Some of us could even sign up for "Gotta Garden Anonymous." When it comes to plants, the more you grow, the more you want to grow. Most people garden for a reason. Why do you garden?