We've just about got all our garden planted! It's a big chore that I look forward to every year. Not everyone has the ability, space, or knowledge to have a garden as big as mine. But, you know what? There are even more people who have gardens much bigger than mine. I look at what they have and fall into the trap of impostor syndrome. Do I really have the right to call myself a gardener when others grow so much more than I? If you get that feeling, too, remember with me that how much we grow isn't the only aspect of gardening. Here are 5 benefits I get from it, whether I'm growing a huge plot of food or one tomato vine.
Number 1 on the list is that I get outdoors. Preparing the soil, planting the seed or seedling, tending the plant, and harvesting are all outside activities whether I'm planting in the ground, a raised bed, or a small container. I put down my phone, turn off the TV, and walk out of my house to breathe fresh air and feel the sunshine without the distractions!
That leads into the mental health bonuses of gardening. Planning and anticipation of plant growth and harvest are great mood boosters. I find myself checking plant progress every day! The reward of seeing your work turn into food is hard to describe but I know it's real. Just seeing the social media posts of gardener's meal plates that boast "homegrown" in the captions is proof that it's something to be proud of.
The third benefit of home gardening is the physical benefits. Aside from the actual body movement to grow the plants, there is the satisfaction of knowing the nutritional quality of the harvest. I get to control the amount (if any) of everything that goes into my food. I also know how old it is when it makes its way to my plate or gets preserved.
The cost of food is a popular topic lately and home gardening also helps with that. Not only do I save money by growing it myself, but I can save seeds to lower my costs even more for the next year! The spent plants turn into food for my livestock or become compost. If my tomato plant produces more than I can use, the excess becomes barter for whatever veggie didn't grow well for me.
The final reward for home gardening is the connection it gives me to my roots (no pun intended.) We've come a long way as a society but, not very ago, almost every family had a garden. We didn't always have a Walmart in every town and a convenience store on every corner. I can remember a time when grocery stores weren't open on Sundays and certainly not 24 hours. If there ever comes a time when food isn't readily available, I want to be able to get mine like my parents and grandparents got theirs. Growing food isn't something that can be learned in one season. It takes practice and knowledge. I feel at ease knowing I can if the need ever comes.
I'm sure there are other benefits for home gardening but these 5 are the ones that affect me the most. They're the reasons I start filling up cups of dirt in February, spend hours fighting mosquitoes in June, and suffer the stifling heat in August. It truly is thrilling to be able to type "homegrown" in a social media caption and know the food in the picture is going to taste so good!
