5 Reasons to Take Up Gardening

It’s National Gardening Week this week (30th April - 6th May) and 2018 is all about sharing your passion for plants and gardening, the perfect opportunity to share pictures with your friends on social media! The annual event was set up in 2011 and has since grown to be the country’s largest gardening celebration.

Here are 5 reasons why we should all take up gardening:-

1) It gets you outside in the fresh air as well as keeps you physically active.

Fresh air cleans our lungs and allows more oxygen to get to our muscles and brain consequently giving us more energy. Did you know our brain absorbs up to 20% of our body’s oxygen?! So fresh air is evidently important for our bodies to work efficiently.

2) Regular gardening can bring a new structure to your life and is an excellent hobby to productively fill up your time.

Bakker Staldin’s study found that 88% of gardeners recognised an improvement in their mental wellbeing when carrying out gardening. It can focus and relax the mind and has been linked to a lower risk of dementia. 

3) It can be an excellent way to meet new people.

You are more likely to talk with likeminded people as you’ll meet those who share your passion for gardening.

4) It can improve your mental state and stress levels as it is an enjoyable activity, it allows you to express your creativity and gives you the opportunity to soak up the sun’s rays. 

It is well-known that vitamin D is good for us as it helps reduce stress and keeps us feeling good.  Sun exposure is the most effective source of vitamin D as human skin can make large amounts when exposed to ultraviolet B rays so it is no wonder why gardening makes us feel happy. 

5) You can gain a great sense of achievement whilst working at your own pace.

There’s no pressure to work at somebody else’s pace; you can switch off and work at your own speed. 

Let us know what you get up to for National Gardening Week by commenting below. Perhaps you and your class have already been growing plants and flowers in the school’s garden and/or watering them to ensure the garden stays looking beautiful.

There are additional activities to do for National Gardening Week and you can view them here. We hope you feel inspired to become avid gardeners!

Here are 9 reasons why nature is good for kids.

This post has been updated for 2018.

Sources:                                                                                                                                       

http://bembu.com/vitamin-d-benefits

https://www.imperialhealthatwork.co.uk/blog/2016/4/5/taking-up-a-new-hobby-to-improve-your-wellbeing

http://www.thrive.org.uk/gardening-can-help-you-feel-better.aspx

https://www.rhs.org.uk/