The Benefits of Gardening

Let's talk about the benefits you get from gardening! 

Let me begin by admitting that I am not a gardener. I would love to be a really good one but my crazy, irrational fear of wasps keeps me from being outside. If I even think I see one flying about, my motivation drops drastically for immersing myself in the garden. I enjoy the honeymoon phase of a summer garden, late May and early June here in Toronto, when wasps aren't out THAT much yet - weeding, preparing the beds, going to the garden centres, seeing the many flowers and veggies seedlings to plant and picking some already beautifully created flowering plants in baskets, and even the initial planting of veggies inspires me. Ok so maybe I AM a bit of a gardener! Ah, but then a wasp (or something I perceive is a wasp) flies by and all my enthusiasm is drained from me and I run screaming into the house. (Side note: I am a magnet for flying bugs. There can be a garden or patio full of people and the bugs will find ME. Dining outdoors? Absolutely not! ) Once the garden is planted, I hand over the watering and harvesting to my wonderful husband who looks after it from here on and I can admire nature's, and our, handiwork from inside or outside when the coast is clear. 

There are some amazing benefits from gardening which is why I try to get into the garden early in the season - mental, physical, spiritual, and even financial when you grow your own food. 

Gardening is a great way to keep your mind active and sharp as you are doing something different that takes understanding, planning, organizing, concentration and care. And it can give you a great sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and pride. 

The pure physical nature of gardening has you bending and stretching, lifting, digging and moving. It's a great way to exercise, burn calories and it can be a great stress relief. Gardening in the sunshine, wearing a good sunscreen and a hat of course, fills your lungs with fresh air and provides you with natural Vitamin D. 

Spiritually, digging in the dirt, connecting with nature, watching the miracle of how things grow, lets us expand from within ourselves to the world around us and lets us see how we all thrive in this giant amazing ecosystem of life. 

And financially, if you grow your own food it is much more flavourful, healthier, often cheaper and much more convenient than buying veggies at the store. 

Are  you a gardener? What do you plant? Veggies, Herbs, Flowers? Even if you are not or don't have the green thumb or don't have time and space, as I've written many time in my musings, getting out in nature is a blessing and is soul cleansing! I still go for walks even if I can't be in the garden, and if you see me sprint by with a quick wave, flapping my arms wildly, you'll know I met a wasp along the way!   

Stay healthy, happy safe and strong!