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If you’re fortunate to have some kind of garden space outdoors, then why not make the most of it? With summer on the way, there is little point spending all of your time indoors, as your garden holds many benefits for you. And as we suggested in this article’s title, your garden is good for your health, self, and wealth!
So, pull up your deck chair. Find a spot to sit amongst your rhododendrons, and consider the following.
Benefits to your health
What further incentive do you need to get outdoors? For your health and wellbeing, you might want to get those gardening gloves and get to work. Why?
You can grow your own food. Don’t spend a fortune on groceries in the supermarket! If you have a garden, why not grow your own fruit and veggies? This way, you can grow your food organically (without any of those nasty chemicals), and get your regular five-a-day through a diet of food you have grown yourself. And if your garden is smaller than you would like, or if you have devoted much of your garden space to children’s play areas and flower beds, you can still grow food in less space with square foot gardening, so don’t you feel you have to give up on the idea of creating homegrown food.
Your stress will melt away. Feeling stressed? You’re not alone; many of us do, but by spending more time outdoors, you will feel your stress melt away. The fresh air and sunshine will stimulate your happiness chemicals and lift your mood. The repetitive nature of your gardening tasks will distract you from some of your worries. And in the quiet space of your garden, you will have time to contemplate your stresses, and perhaps get a better perspective on whatever is bothering you.
You will feel the benefits of exercise. Any exercise is good for you, but if you can’t be bothered going for a mile-long hike or a swim at your local leisure centre, get out into the garden instead. Your body will be moving in a variety of ways, such as squatting, lifting, bending, and walking, so you will be giving your joints a good workout. And when you’re engaging in physical activities such as pushing wheelbarrows around, or raking through the leaves, you will be burning away your calories too, and that is good for both your heart strength and your weight level.
Benefits to your self
Your garden is your space to do what you want with it, whether that’s gardening, relaxing, or socialising. Don’t let it go to waste then and consider the following.
You can build your self-confidence. What’s better than seeing the fruits of your labours? With all of the hard work you put into your garden, your confidence will grow in line with the plants and vegetables you have cultivated. You will feel a great sense of achievement when you see success, and you can tell yourself and others “I did that” when you stand proud looking at the garden you have produced.
You will have time to relax. Away from the hustle and bustle of the world outside of your home, you can rest and relax in your own private sanctuary. Get away from it all with a good book and a glass of wine, and sit and chill listening to the aural delights of birdsong and insect life. You might also amp up your relaxation time with some of these relaxing garden tips, adding such things as wind chimes and water features to improve the quality of your outdoor haven.
You can improve your social life. Your garden could become the social hub of the season! With barbecues and garden parties for the neighbourhood, or for more intimate social gatherings for your friends and families, your garden is a great place to have more time with others. Perfect, especially if you haven’t had time to do the housework and you don’t want to risk the embarrassment of letting others set foot indoors when you’re in the mood for social company.
Benefits to your wealth
If you’re looking for gardening projects this year, why not focus on something that grows your financial health? Your garden can be a great money-maker for you, as you can see below.
You can sell your produce. Put your gardening skills to use and grow fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Then sell them at the local farmers market or to your friends and neighbours. You might also want to do more with the items you grow, as there are other ways you can make money from your produce. Use your fruit to make jam, chutneys, and smoothies. You can use your vegetables to make soups and your own signature dishes. And you can make decorative gifts using flowers, perhaps using these flower craft ideas. Whether you create your own business or simply sell your goods as and when you have them, this is a relatively easy way to bring in some extra income.
You could keep livestock. Cows and sheep are probably out of the question, especially if you have limited space in your garden. But what about a goat? Or a few chickens? You can then make money by selling the milk and eggs that your animals kindly create for you. You might also start your own petting zoo business, letting the public in to see your animals for a small fee. You can then make extra money by following our previous point, and sell your farm visitors the produce you have created.
Hire your garden to others. People with small gardens might not want to consider this idea, but if you have ample space, you could rent your garden out to anybody needing space for an allotment or a garden party. And if you have done a good job cultivating your garden, it might also be used by local painting or horticultural groups who can benefit from the work you have put in. Of course, you will need public liability insurance when letting people onto your land, in the unlikely event somebody gets injured, so do your research before considering this idea.
And so…
Don’t let your garden go to waste. For your health, self, and your wealth, put your outdoor space to good use. The benefits to your life are many!
And let us know your ideas too. How do you use your garden? Share your wisdom with us, for the benefit of our readers.
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Thanks for the great article. I think teaching gardening to our kids is really important as well.