The benefits of gardening
There are many different types of hobbies; some for those who enjoy being indoors and some for those who live to be outside. Maybe you thrive on competition or enjoy the comfort of observing, regardless of how a person likes to spend their free time - no doubt there is something for everyone. However, gardening offers the most rewards and benefits to yourself as well as others. Regardless of age, gardening is an excellent way to reduce stress, boost your mood, increase exercise and improve the environment.
Gardening is a stress buster both mentally and physically. The garden should be a place where we can slow down, breathe deeply, feel the sun on our skin and reconnect with the earth. One form of stress is attention
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No matter your age, gardening is an excellent way to boost physical activity. Gardening uses all the major muscle groups, such as legs, buttocks, back, shoulders, arms, stomach and neck all get a workout. Gardening also increases flexibility and strengthens joints. Most gardeners have experienced the burning sensation of overworked arms and legs, but what we didn’t known until recently is how often, how much and at what intensity we should garden in order to get maximum health benefits. Recent research indicates that 30 minutes daily of moderate exercise such as gardening lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helps prevent diabetes and heart disease, and prevents or slows osteoporosis. Just sixty minutes of gardening can burn 272-544 calories depending on the size of the person. Generally, a person who weighs more will burn more calories than the amount shown here. To make the most of a gardening work-out, think of the garden as an outside gym. Consider using manual tools instead of electric. Do a full range of activities, incorporating strength, dexterity and flexibility. Alternate light and heavy activities such as digging a hole, then pruning a bush, followed by planting and cooling down with watering the garden. Consider using manual tools instead of electric …show more content…
Organic gardening helps to prevent a loss of topsoil, water pollution, toxic runoff, and soil contamination, death of insects, birds, critters and other beneficial soil organisms, as well as eliminating pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide residues on food from synthetic fertilizers.
Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, turf, and other vegetation. In addition to killing insects or weeds, pesticides can be toxic to a host of other organisms including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants. Insecticides are generally the most acutely toxic class of pesticides, but herbicides can also pose risks to non-target organisms.
It’s argued that organic gardens are hippies, tree huggers, impractical and expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s the way food was raised for thousands of years before the invention, wide-spread use and deceptive advertising of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In the beginning, it may cost a bit more as you wean your gardens and lawns from chemicals. However, in the long run, as you upgrade your soil quality, apply compost you’ve made yourself and utilize sustainable gardening practices, your costs will go down. Going organic is a no
Organic fertilisers and natural pest control methods minimise the impact of viticulture on the environment. In recent years there has been a considerable movement by some growers towards an organic approach. This is as a result of consumer driven trends and pressure to minimise the environmental impact of viticulture.
I later understood that gardening is generally associated with a life of leisure, with relaxation. For me, it was a competition. I'd ask my seedlings, 'Who's growing the fastest?' 'Who's the tallest?' Fearing bad karma, I tried to stay impartial, lest a subconscious preference for green beans would cause me to water them more often, while dumping bleach on the onions. Every night I'd give my parents an update on rates of growth, any signs of produce, and my never-realized irrigation plans.
Community gardens have been planted and maintained for many years and have been used to support war efforts, feed people during economic hardships, and boost a sense of community and pride. Community gardens are found all over the world from the U.S. to the U.K. and even in Afghanistan. Governments and citizens have started community gardens alike on public land and private land as well; for these reason they can really be anywhere as long as the community comes together to keep the garden healthy.
Landscaping is a beautiful way to add interest and beauty to your home, but many don't have the time to keep up with a high maintenance garden. Though many flowers are more high maintenance, there are plenty lower maintenance plants available to create a masterpiece without breaking the bank or your back. The key to low maintenance landscaping is proper preparations, plant and flower selections and proper placement of the plants into their places. If you select your plants and place them properly your garden will perform at its best year round. First, selecting the site for your garden is a must, so you will know the conditions of the soil and sunlight exposure for that area.
First of all, gardening has been proven to ameliorate the wellbeing of an individual. As Finley says, “we are soil”. Since we are creatures of the earth, it makes sense
Enjoy the benefits of gardening. Tending your garden is said to help you de-stress, clear your mind and provide you with a great hobby. If you have energy and all the time in the world to become your own landscaper, then you should.
As it has been rightly said, “Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.” It also stands true in the magical word of plants. Companion gardening is the new age way of gardening in which a plant is a friend with benefits.
According to Psychology Today, gardening is proven to improve mental health and mental cognition (Rayner 2015). Gardening can help both the elderly and those incarcerated because it allows individuals to relax, remain connected, provides a sense of responsibility, decreases aggression, and releases endorphins which makes people happy (Rayner 2015). There are many successful green roof programs which incorporate the elderly, the Elmhurst Community is an example (Link for more info). Besides improving the elderly’s mental state, gardening is a form of exercise, improves their motor skills, provides social interaction and helps to improve their nutrition. According to Alliance Patient Nutrition, “one in three” elderly admitted into hospitals are malnourished upon admission (Biancato 2015). Overall, this initiative would provide a purpose to both the elderly and those
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
An article on healthline.com (citation here) displays studies which propose that plants are mood boosters, decrease chances of sickness and enhance your thinking. People with indoor plants exhibited a 20% or more boost in memory, creativity and productivity. Their behavior also tended to be more optimistic and calm rather than anxious and depressed. These behavioral shifts can be triggered by certain plant colors, textures and their company in general. Health line even offers a quiz that tells you what plant matches your personality type.
Outdoor work has always been important to me, both on the farm and off it. As someone who enjoys working with my hands to accomplish something that is challenging and productive, horticulture was a natural field for me to look into as a career. Horticulture requires both physical strength and mental ability that is practical and based on solving a real-life problem, rather than simply being an intellectual exercise or on arbitrary conditions. Horticulture as a term is a rather broad definition of a variety of careers and activities; is it merely backyard gardening or is it biological research culminating in genetically modifying plants for the advancement of our economy and well-being? The answer is honestly both, and in this aspect, horticulture is a rare field of study offering both simple (on the face of it, at least) manual labor and incredibly advanced research and study careers. Horticulture is also rare in that it has ties to both age-old practices and traditions of gardening and plant production and new-age philosophies of environmentalism, research, and science. People have been cultivating plants for decoration and sustenance for millennia, and horticulture is the best term to describe these activities. However, horticulture is also the best description of the work done by scientists, researchers, and educators to advance our knowledge of both how plants grow and develop and how the world can utilize these properties. With that being said, to learn more about careers in horticulture the following research paper will describe the definition of horticulture, the education and qualifications necessary, and the specific careers available in horticulture.
They also mentioned that it has shown to enhance their engagement and improve self-image by experiences through the activities. The space in healing garden advantage users by giving them a soothing, calming, restorative and rejuvenating mental and emotional health at the same time relieving a person’s stress (Polat, Gungor & Demir, 2017). Moreover, therapeutic garden helps to improve emotional resilience, wound healing, immune function, bone strength, cognition, concentration, empathy, vitality, relaxation, mood, and satisfaction (Cooper Marcus & Sachs, 2014; Kuo,
Gardeners often find deep satisfaction in their gardens because they are rewarded by their patience and
“What are you going to do after high school?” I’ve been asking myself this question forever, and as of this fall, I’ve finally decided. I plan to major in horticulture at Iowa State University. Deciding what to do with the rest of my life was neither quick nor easy, but luckily I had some help along the way.
they can increase choice of organic foods. Nevertheless, for the majority of people, they need cheaper food, and they should regard conventional foods as their first choice. No matter what people choose organic or conventional foods, their main purpose is to get a healthier body. If people focus on changing their eating habits, not comparing organic foods with conventional foods, they will be healthier. As long as people can change their eating habits like eating more vegetables and less meat, they will get a healthier body whether they eat organic or conventional foods.