Gardening and its wellness wonders

By Dewanshi Gupta

With the onset of summer comes the opportunity to explore new passions and hobbies. As someone who loves spending time outside, I’ve always been fascinated by the world of gardening. So during summers, I decided to start my own herb garden. I have always admired the beauty of lush greenery; to me, it’s like an artist’s canvas brought to life, full of beauty and grace. I have been enchanted by the idea of having my own garden.

As I delved deeper into the world of gardening, I discovered a newfound appreciation for it. Apart from the satisfaction I got from it, there were other benefits of gardening too. It kept me active and engaged. Gardening is also a great way to enjoy fresh air and sunshine. It gave me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Whenever I saw a new plant sprout, it was a little victory to me. It filled me with a sense of pride and joy, motivating me to keep going.

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance. Useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits, and herbs, are grown for consumption, for use as dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use. Today, we live in a time when manufactured medicines and prescriptions prevail, but do they have to be the only approach to healing?

Even with all of these engineered options at our fingertips, many people find themselves turning back to the medicinal plants that started it all: Herbal remedies that have the ability to heal and boost physical and mental well-being. You’re more like a plant than you may realise. Your body is capable of photosynthesis — the process where plants make their own food using sunlight.

Your skin uses sunlight to make one of the nutrients you need: vitamin D. Researchers estimate that an half an hour in the sun can produce between 8,000 and 50,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in your body, depending on how much your clothes cover and the color of your skin.

Studies in the United States and abroad have found that gardening improves your mood and increases your self-esteem. When people spend time in a garden, their anxiety levels drop, and they feel less depressed.

In a multi-year study published in 2011, people with depression participated in a gardening intervention for 12 weeks. Afterward, researchers measured several aspects of their mental health, including depression symptoms, finding that all of them were significantly improved. And those improvements lasted for months after the intervention ended.

Gardening is tending to a landscape or sometimes a conservatory. And this activity includes but is not limited to growing plants. Growing plants is just that. Gardening is the practice of cultivating and tending to plants, flower shops, and trees in outdoor spaces such as gardens, yards, and parks. Gardening can be a hobby, a form of therapy, or a means of producing food, depending on the interest and needs of the gardener.

There are many reasons why people choose to garden. For one, gardening can be a relaxing and rewarding activity that promotes good physical and mental health. It also allows individuals to connect with nature, learn new skills, and beautify their surroundings.

Additionally, gardening can be a sustainable way to produce fresh, healthy food or support local ecosystems by planting native species.