Thom with our raised bed and one of our tower gardens.
I keenly remember my mom working a garden in several of the homes she lived in later in her life. One was little more than rock and gravel patch of dirt, yet she managed to harvest a few tomatoes and zucchini in spite of the inhospitable ground. And while I always enjoyed the taste if she had any extras, my life was far too important and fast paced to even imagine having the time or interest. Now here I am so many years later, spending time nearly every day nurturing tiny green plants in my care. Though it’s taken a while, I’ve gradually come to realize that many of the hidden benefits my mother harvested from her garden went far beyond the obvious. In fact, after reading up on the benefits of gardening I’ve come to realize that this simple action might be a cure for what ails many people, as well as the planet herself.
I think many of us consider gardening to be either a quaint pastime for seniors or a passion for nature lovers. My interest in gardening grew
out of a desire to make my lifestyle more in alignment with my hope for a more sustainable and sane world. So when my husband Thom and I purchased a more compact home that matched our new values several years ago, we decided another possible step was to build a raised-bed garden and experiment with growing vegetables. That action turned out to be just the beginning of a new and rewarding part of our lives.
When I talk to most people about gardening the conversation is usually about the quality and taste. And yes, it goes without saying that the quality and the taste is a huge advantage to growing your own food. But what most of us fail to realize, are the many other benefits involved. Fortunately a number of studies now help to prove those many rewards. Here are a few I found most interesting:
* Improves well-being in older women. Study author Mary Infantino identified gardening as cognitively protective. Her study explains, “The phenomenon of gardening is analogous to the relationship between a spider and its web, linking internal and external environments and providing support over a lifetime. It appears that the gardening experience, as an evolving lifelong process, sustains older women in their cognitive and spiritual development.”
* Orange is the new green. According to a post on the website eatocracy.com, farm programs “…teach (prison) inmates about nutrition, how to grow food and related life-skill lessons. The programs supply healthy food for prison cafeterias as well as for nearby restaurants and homeless shelters. Not only that: These gardening programs have been shown to reduce the rate of repeated incarceration.”
* Lower risk of dementia as we age. A study in Australia shows 
that people who garden daily have a 36% less chance of developing dementia in later life.
* Gardening promotes relief from acute stress. Science now documents that the act of gardening both restores a positive mood after a stressful experience while significantly decreasing the cortisol levels in the body.
* Improves the mental well-being of homeless women. According to a study done in Atlanta in 2013, “The gardening experience interrupted the participants’ negative ruminations, offering stress relief and elements of social inclusion and self-actualization. Gardening is an inexpensive and positive intervention for a population with a high incidence of mental illness and distress. “
* Encourages healing and makes us feel better about life and ourselves. Hospitals around the country are planting gardens and encouraging patients to spend time there. According to Dr. Roger Ulrich, from Texas A & M University, “If researchers had proposed 20 years ago that gardens and gardening could improve medical outcomes they would have been met with derision and skepticism. “ Thankfully we now know how beneficial gardens really are.
While this is just a brief list of some of the more interesting studies, there are plenty more. Gardening and/or just spending time in nature has been proven to help our concentration and memory, provide exercise, boost our mood and increase our happiness, improve our relationships, enhance our performance on the job, increase our energy, alleviate symptoms of ADD, create more positive attitudes, reduce neighborhood crime, cause people to upgrade and beautify their neighborhood, and even leads to traffic safety. And notice I haven’t even mentioned the benefits of making our planet healthier and less toxic for our children and ourselves?
This is the third year that Thom and I have experimented with a garden and it is gradually coming to an end for the season. We live in the desert southwest so our growing period is opposite of most others in the U.S. This year we grew from seeds that we planted ourselves. Nurturing and watching those seeds as they grew bit by bit was a daily reminder of the miracle of life that happens every day around us. Now that some of those seeds are finally grown and we are able to eat the fruits of our labor, it’s impossible to deny the feeling of connection to something bigger than ourselves. As a guy named Robert Brault said, “Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden.” Beyond that it is impossible to explain the sense of empowerment, satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from eating
what you’ve grown yourself.
So why don’t more people garden? Supposedly there are three reasons. #1.The big one is that people say they don’t have time. I used that one myself. For years I said I didn’t have time but what I was really saying was it wasn’t that important to me. Until I started valuing what I put in my body (and that of my family) and acknowledged what big agricultural growers are doing to mass-produce my food, I made excuses. Until I admitted that unsustainable farming practices are polluting our planet and our bodies just so I don’t have to get involved, it continues. Ultimately, it’s pointless to say we want to live a healthy lifestyle when we don’t admit how disconnected we’ve all become with what it takes to grow healthy food.
#2. The next excuse is that people don’t have space. Luckily there are now a wide variety of growing methods available to help in this case. Our two different types of garden towers will fit on just about any patio, no matter how small your home or apartment.
#3. The final excuse is that people say they don’t have enough information to get started. I’ll admit this one held us back a while. But the Internet is full of information if you take the time to explore. Another good alternative is to check to see if your city sponsors a community garden and learn from fellow gardeners while making new friends.
Obviously people will continue to find excuses if they want in spite of the evidence. But for anyone who wants a proven way to a happier and healthier life, a garden is a great answer for whatever ails you. Plus, maybe it is SMART to admit that a good solution for helping to ease some of the suffering and struggle in our world, is as simple as us all taking the time to plant a few seeds and then nurture them while they grow.
Nice article, and I agree… I think gardening is good for us for more than just the fresh food. There’s just something about working with our hands to produce something. The effort and the satisfaction of a job well done. It’s also a keen lesson in patience. In today’s caffeinated and microwaved world the idea of planting something knowing it won’t yield results for many weeks is a much needed reminder.
Thanks for sharing.
Great article..Thanks for sharing. Working in the garden is also a shared experience for the family
Great post! I like gardening until today, some of the plants which I’ve planted like banana trees, rambutan tree, vegetables and others. Right now, I’m trying to learn gardening hydroponic system for growing vegetables. And this is what became my hobby to gardening.
Hi Ahmad! Thanks for your comment and good luck with hydroponics! Thom (my husband) loves that way to grow and he is convinced it will be a powerful part of our future. ~Kathy
Hey Kathy love your post! 🙂 Where I come from, all the homes in our villages have a small plot where we do some gardening. We grow flowers, fruits and vegetables. I go to my village once in a while, and when I do, I always indulge in doing some gardening which makes me feel really good 🙂 Its a lovely hobby 🙂
Yes, I completely agree. Gardening can be a cure to our problems such as stress, depression. Before i had a garden, i used to have these problems. After i made a garden in our house, everything seemed to good.
Thanks for sharing such an amazing and informative post.
Apu
I love reading this post. It explains what I think about gardens, flowers and plants.. Its kind of meditation for me.
I found your blog and I will follow in future…
Thanks,
Who needs a TV when you have a garden, I say. I love those terracotta ‘look’ verticals. Are they on wheels? It looks as if they might be, and you’d really need to spin them around periodically.
Not a big fan of the white ones. Practical must be also be pleasing on the eye, in my garden.
One thing a garden gives me is, access to fresh air. As simple as it seems, sometimes I get trapped in the house, without really knowing it. Fortunately, my veggies need some TLC every now and again.
Yes, a garden is certainly a cure for what ails you. I was very lucky growing up in a family that always grew a vegetable garden. Consequently, there’s rarely a spring or summer day that I don’t have fresh dirt under my fingernails. Gardening always gives me a mental boost.
Hi Ryan! Welcome to SMART Living and thanks for joining the conversation. There is nothing like a little dirt under the nails to get us in touch with mother Earth! ~Kathy
I’m still on my 30s and strangely I find gardening has always been interesting. There is always this good peaceful feeling when I start getting my hands dirty with soil and put the plants into it. Things get even more exciting when after a while I actually manage to get some fresh vegetables from my garden.
saying ‘I don’t have space’ for me is true, but seeing the two towers you depicted makes me think maybe I could have a growing garden. I live in an RV Park and am allowed to have 4 outdoor plants so those might work or something similar. I wonder if one tower would count as one planter? 🙂
Hi Lydia! Oh yes do check out the garden towers as a possibility. And at least in my opinion, they qualify as a “planter!” While any garden does take some time and effort, I think the benefits far outweigh that. Let me know if you decide to take it on and i will cheer you on! ~Kathy
i’ve been gardening for years. In Thailand, there are a lot of herb and plants which can cook. It makes Thai food taste strong and delicious. And as the author mentioned gardening can be an awesome hobby and effective stress reliever. Love the article ^_^
I remember gardening with my grandparents when I was just a kid. My grandmother just passed away, and I’m convinced it was her gardening that kept her mind strong for so many years. She always had the most beautiful flowers.. It’s funny, how keeping flowers alive can keep so much else alive in your mind.
Hi Michael! Thanks for sharing your memory of your grandmother with us. I have absolutely no doubt that she reaped a bunch of benefits from her garden including a sharper mind. What a nice memory you have of her and her flowers. A good reason for all of us to grow things that are beautiful. ~Kathy
My grandparents worked in their garden all their lives and they grew everything that they needed. They made their meals from what they grew. Both of them lived almost 90 years. I have just started my small garden where I grow veggies for my kids. For me gardening is the meditation. 🙂
Hi James! Welcome to SMART Living and thank you for sharing a couple of your own experiences with this. And I love your statement “gardening is the meditation.” So true! ~Kathy
I feel the same way. We are doing it in an unfamiliar climate so last year was our learning curve. I’m really looking forward to a more complete garden this year and I really would love to add a small green house before next year. I find that it does wonders with mom, who you know suffers from Alzheimer’s but also for my husband’s stress level. When he’s having a bad day he can go outside and spend time in the garden and it relaxes him. There are so many benefits to gardening.
Hi Rena! There was actually one of the studies that showed how some people with Alzheimers respond tremendously by gardening and I thought of you. So glad to hear that you are already including that to help your mom. And yes, isn’t it amazing how ALL OF US (like your husband) benefit from it. When you just think about it, it seems like extra work but there are so many benefits that when you are doing it, it seems like a gift instead. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. ~Kathy
I love those tower planters! My husband told me about 10 years ago that he finds happiness at the end of a shovel. Seasons for us are: planning, planting, nurturing and worrying, harvesting. We have always had a garden but after my breast cancer 13 years ago my oncologist recommended we only eat organic and grow organically.
Hi Haralee! Yes we are enjoying the towers as a different way to experience gardening. The terra cotta one uses dirt (or compost) and in the center of the structure is a hollowed out area to put in fresh composing material. Then when you water the water leeches down and drains into a container that absorbs the “tea” from the compost that you can then use to “rewater” the tower. It’s an interesting design and we were anxious to try it. Unfortunately we have to water it by hand and haven’t figured out a way to put it on timers. Both the white town and the raised bed are on timers making them much easier. Still we consider our gardens experiments that we get to eat from so there are never failures. And I LOVE your season of “planning, planting, nurturing and worrying and harvesting. SO TRUE! Good for you for going organic. I think it is a step all of us should take if we aren’t doing it already! ~Kathy
This is really interesting, Kathy. I had always told people that I found gardening very therapeutic, but I had no empirical evidence to back that up. It was just about how gardening made me feel. Your post shares some very specific reasons why gardening is good for you. Well done!
Hi Nancy! Glad I was able to “dig up” some facts for you about why gardening does make you feel good. Plus all the exercise you do out in nature with hiking is also an excellent way to experience a natural high! I think the more of us who recognize it and make it a priority the better! ~Kathy
Loved reading this post. I have noticed that I am recently drawn to gardening both with flowers and vegetables. Also using veggies that I bought in the market and cutting the stalk and replanting. I have never been interested in this before but I get real satisfaction now. I will mention that I am now retired after 40 years as a stock broker and during that time I lived in a stressed world. Gardening and watching my successes and failures have become a daily pleasure . Thank you for your insight.
Hi Andrea! Thank you so much for adding your personal insights to this conversation. I agree with so many of your making comments that gardening either flowers or vegetables goes hand in hand. While Thom and I are HUGE lettuce eaters and that is a big motivation in our vegetable garden, we also designed and planted all the planets in our front yard. We went with desert landscaping but it is amazing how much color, texture and beauty that a desert landscape has compared to the plain and rather boring landscape of all our neighbors grass yard (not to even mention the amount of water we save compared to them.) I think the studies prove that beauty and nature are healing to us all and any way that we can enhance that is good. Thank you for confirming how true that it for you. ~Kathy
Hi Tim! I haven’t heard of the book but it sounds interesting. And anything that encourages something with so many rewards has to be good! I will guarantee you that your stress levels will drop while tending your plant! ~Kathy
Growing up my grandfather did the gardening, it was his domain and no one else touched it until my boys came into the picture. Then he allowed the boys to go out to pick for him. 🙂 They had so much fun in his garden that I started to give them plots on our property to grow their own. So far only one of my son’s has taken gardening into his adulthood but I have hope.
I didn’t realize all the benefits of gardening! I knew I felt better and enjoyed being in the gardens, it’s peaceful and takes me away from the crazy life that is outside my home. As you know I introduced the grandchildren to gardening as well. It was my belief that it would encourage them to eat more foods, and that has worked, but I also believe playing in the dirt is good for their immune systems
Hi Lois! Yes I know you are an amazing garden and I’ll bet you are itching to get yours going when things warm up a bit. I’ve also read that one of the benefits of being in the dirt is how it helps our immune system but I am also very much encouraged by all the work being done with hydroponics. Thom just loves it–I think the techie nature of it suits him–and the advantages are that it uses so much less water and allows us to grow food inside. It’s not as a holistic experience as getting your hands in the dirt and being outside but it still offers lots of satisfaction–and it is REALLY good for lettuce. We’ve been eating fresh lettuce that we’ve grown ourselves for almost two months now and I’m really saddened that might be coming to an end.
Good for you for passing this on to your grandkids. Let’s all continue to spread the word to people. People are always asking, “what can one person do?” Well growing some of your own food is a good place to start. ~Kathy
It is that time of year, Kathy, when we begin to see things come back to life and set out to grow our gardens. The fresh air feels good and the smell of the good earth is awarding after the winter months. Gardens are the best way as you listed to better our lives. Thank you for sharing with us and hope you have a bountiful harvest come fall. 🙂
Hi Pat! I sure do envy you all with getting your gardens started just about now. Today it is supposed to hit 100 degrees and my poor lettuce is looking very sad. We have them in the shade but we might have seen the last of them. I’m hoping the zucchini, peppers and tomatoes can handle the heat and last for another month at least. But we are learning a bit more every year about when to plant and what works the best. Enjoy your garden experience and may your harvest be abundant! 🙂 ~Kathy
Whew! That’s gonna’ be a little hot, Kathy. I can see where it seems like you’ve jumped right into summer already where you’re at in the desert southwest. Have you ever planted some things under some shade — would that help any?
We haven’t started here yet as our evenings are still cold. Our growing season is shorter (elev 8,500′) than Denver and have to start some things inside first before planting outside. It’s a real learning curve here, too. Enjoy your garden and have fun planting!
Ha! Yes it is pretty hot for this early in the year. And we started putting up the shade/umbrellas about 3 weeks ago. The tomatoes are quite happy actually but the poor lettuce is struggling. Am hoping it will also help with the peppers and the zucchini. We’ll see. And WOW! I’m sure your elevation would make a difference too. I’m guessing you can’t actually plant anything outside until late May? Still, the experience is worth it no matter what. May you have a very good experiment this year too. ~Kathy
I inherited my love of gardens from my mother who was always pottering around the place, planning what to plant next. I only started becoming interested in gardening, however, when I moved into my own place. I’ve always been more interested in flowers than in vegetables but always grow herbs near the kitchen door. My eldest daughter has now caught the perma-culture bug and is growing vegetables in Australia.
Hi Kathy! How great that you picked up your love of gardening from your mom. My mother wasn’t around to witness my transform, but I know she would have very matter-of-factly approved. And it sounds like you’re similar to Diana in that you enjoy your flowers more than vegetables. But as I told her, most of the awesome psychological benefits that come from a garden don’t require you to eat them. And you can also be very proud that you’ve help to pass on this incredible gift to your daughter. ~Kathy
Thanks for your comment. I do definitely prefer growing flowers but also love herbs. I have just finished planting up a herb barrel outside my kitchen door. It’s the first time I’ve used a container for all my herbs rather than spreading them out in a bed, so I’ll be interested to see how well they grow in a confined space.
Love your post.
My mother had a huge garden, about 50 x 30 feet. It was so wonderful seeing the vegetables come up year after year. No one used the term organic back then, but it was wholesome. No chemical sprays were used.
I garden avidly, mostly flowers and continue to revel in the beauty of nature and its gifts year round. Sometimes, I’ll start singing spontaneously when I’m working in the soil. How about that?
Hi Diana! I love the idea of you breaking out into song in your garden. While I am a big believer in growing some of my own food, many of the psychological benefits of gardens don’t require them to be edible. Your flowers bring you such happiness, how can that be anything but good! Thanks for sharing. ~Kathy
Growing up, my family experienced a subsistence lifestyle. I often comment that we were the original organic farmers – if we didn’t grow it, pick it or kill it, we didn’t eat. I think of the effort my parents put into growing and preserving food for the family of 5. I didn’t appreciate what nutritious food we were provided. Now, gardening is more of a hobby than a necessity. Still, there is nothing more rewarding than reaping the benefits of the garden produce – there are still carrots in the crisper, frozen kale, canned tomatoes, potatoes in the cold room. The garden is all those things you mentioned in your post as well as a strong connection to Mother Earth and the seasons.
Hi Mona! Yes, isn’t it strange that we seldom appreciate all the time and effort that our parents or ancestors went through just to feed us? And I’ll agree, it is work and takes time. But isn’t that an example of how we’ve gotten a bit out of whack with many things that are important. Most of us know that the regular food in the stores these days is filled with all kinds of chemicals and not near the nutritional value, but we’ve sold out for the convenience (and yeah I do that myself so I’m not pointing fingers.) And instead of “working out” in the garden we pay to go to a gym to get healthier?? And I recently read that one in four women in midlife is on antidepressants–could that be a lack of feeling connected? While I’m not advocating a return to the “good old days” (I love conveniences too) I do think it’s important for us to consider that we can blend the good from the past into the good from the future and create something even better. A garden is a good place to start. ~Kathy
I’ve always been an avid gardener. When I’m working in the garden I get “in the zone” — a great place to be! However, a few years ago we sold our home and moved to southern Arizona where backyards are mainly paved and gravel. Since we’re renting I can’t create a raised bed so I just started growing veggies in reusable grocery bags. A lot of people are doing this very successfully. I love your towers, too.
Hi Deane! Good for you for gardening your whole life and figuring out how to “grow” no matter what. As you say, it does help you get into a zone and turn off your mind and let go of busyness. We are excited to see all the new ways people are coming up with solutions to growing. Thom got into the Garden Tower because he’s always been attracted to hydroponics. I think it satisfies his “tech” nature and allows him the other benefits that come from gardening. Me…I still like the dirt! ~Kathy
What a great article. Love all of the research, too. We grow herbs, but now you have me thinking about more veggies.
Hi Lisa! Be careful….it grows on you! I also love the saying that goes, “In today’s society, planting a garden is an act of revolution.” We help change the world by planting one vegetable at a time. ~Kathy
Excellent article! I discovered the joy and benefit of gardening a few years ago and now, at fifty-six and retired, it is one of my greatest sources of fulfillment. I started by learning how to tend a few veggies in a small 4×4 raised bed and now I have a large plot in a community garden and plan to do more raised beds here at home. Canning and freezing summer’s bounty gives us benefits from my garden even in the midst of a cold winter. I find so many of the benefits you write about. My garden truly is my “happy place”!
Hi Linda! Glad you liked the post and thank you for jumping in and sharing how great gardening has been for you. It does tend to grow on you doesn’t it? When Thom saw me getting into my raised bed garden and eating some of the “benefits” he came to the realization that what really captured his interest was the hydroponic aspect of gardening. That’s why he wanted to get the “garden tower.” I told him that if he did then he was going to garden that one because I was happy with the dirt. Turns out they both are good for separate reasons and really add to the experience. Then this year we purchased the terra-cotta colored grow tower that uses dirt but not as much as the raised bed. (both the garden tower and the grow tower use less water than the raised bed.) And we’re learning from all three now. It definitely gets in your blood doesn’t it and yes, takes us to a “happy place!” ~Kathy
Gardening is a wonderful hobby that can be enjoyed at any age. It is so satisfying to see your plants grow and thrive. And yes, the veggies taste so much better when you’ve grown them yourself.
Hi Helene! I hoped this post would bring out all the gardeners among us! I’d love to see it become more mainstream for us all. If the act can make homeless women, prison inmates and senior citizens happy–why not us! ~Kathy