Plants Add Happiness, and Other Benefits

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Create a garden retreat to admire your efforts and relax such as this one created by Ruth VanderRoest of Schoolcraft, a Best in Bloom Runner Up Contest winner.

Research Studies Support the Many Benefits of Gardening.

The older we get, the more aware we become of the importance of physical activity in maintaining our health. Numerous studies show that regular physical activity reduces the risk of premature death, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and certain types of cancer.

Gardening contributes to physical health with endurance, flexibility and strength tested with digging, planting, weeding, lifting and harvesting.

However, not all of gardening's benefits are physical; they're also in the mind. Tending your garden is a real stress buster helping relieve feelings of anxiety. Gardening requires that you use your head and your creativity. The time spent planning the garden and researching different plants is a great brain workout. Gardening gives us a chance to be creative. Our personalities shine through our gardens.

Gardening connects you with nature and is seen as one of the best ways to increase tranquility in addition to providing other benefits such as happiness, a feeling of satisfaction and a positive outlook.

Gardening provides fresh fruits and vegetables and the encouragement to eat them. A strawberry, tomato, peas, etc. picked from your garden will taste sweeter and more flavorful partly because you know you grew it yourself.

Gardening is fun. When we are doing things we enjoy, we do them better and more often. Relax and remember your garden doesn't have to be picture perfect all the time. Resolve to enjoy the experience and the benefits of gardening such as reduced stress levels. Possibly enter one of your gardens in the Best Way Disposal Best of Bloom Contest.

Research from the Samuel Noble Foundation and the Gale Group.