As most budding horticulturists and many studies will attest, gardening can do wonders for your health and well-being. Gardening is an excellent way to get all-around exercise and improve strength, endurance, and flexibility. It can also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other medical conditions. Other benefits include:
Reducing stress -Studies show that people who spend time cultivating plants experience less stress. Gardening provides a positive way to channel stress into an activity that offers comfort and the satisfaction of nurturing and helping something grow. It allows you to focus and put your mind to work on a task. A 2016 experiment conducted by NASA showed that gardening can keep astronauts sane and happy while in outer space. The study found that planting and nurturing seeds, even in small pots, provided for an uplifted mood and eased stress. Gardening has been used as a form of therapy for individuals who have experienced mental or physical trauma to help to put them in a better place for recovery.
Improving concentration and memory – Research shows a link between gardening and mental clarity by promoting problem solving, learning, and sensory awareness. It has also been shown to strengthen the brain and reduce the risk of memory loss.
Building self-esteem – It always feels good to accomplish new tasks. Once you have nurtured a tiny seed into a delicious vegetable or a beautiful flower, you will feel there is no limit to what else you can accomplish!
It’s good for your heart – The physical activity involved with the labor of gardening, digging in the soil and pulling weeds, helps keep you active and improves cardiovascular health.
Enhancing your mood –A 2015 study published in Immunotargets and Therapy, showed that although having dirt under your fingernails may be a sign of poor hygiene, it could also be a mark of good health. Thanks to beneficial bacteria found in soil, gardening may improve your immune system.
Making new friends – Gardeners tend to be the nicest people. Sharing space in a community garden gives you the opportunity to meet people who share a common interest.
Improving your diet – Eating all those mouth-watering homegrown fruits and veggies is not only delicious, but good for you.
Boosts vitamin D- Exposure to sunlight while gardening helps older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Moving to a 55+ retirement community does not mean gardeners have to give up digging in the dirt. Coburg Village resident, Doris Cronin, moved to the community from rural Central New York where she and her husband enjoyed cultivating the land on their own “gentleman’s farm.” Their farm started as an experiment 30 years ago and flourished into a passion which included perennials, vegetables, and fruit trees. “It was wonderful having all that nature right in front of us,” exclaims Doris. “Perennials are my real joy. I love watching them pop out of the ground each year, it is like a rebirth.”
Seeing Coburg Village’s sundrenched greenhouse was one of the reasons Doris chose to move to the community. Today, she is a member of Coburg Village’s Greenhouse Committee finding it to be a fun way to meet other residents who share a common interest. Doris refers to the greenhouse as her “happy place.”
Plant lovers, as well as residents with no gardening experience, are always welcome to visit the greenhouse to just soak in the warmth, earthy scent, and blossoming color. For those wanting to get started, they will find potting soil, tools, fertilizer, and other gardening supplies. In the warmer weather, Coburg Village also offers outdoor raised-bed gardens.
Happy spring!
