Gardening is a common hobby among people of all backgrounds. Some plants are easy to grow, and there are a variety of plants you can start with. If you’re thinking of planting a home garden, you are joining millions of people who experience the many benefits of having easy access to fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Once you decide what type of garden you would like, you can start gathering supplies and determine a location.
Over 40 million American households have a fruit or vegetable garden, with the lawn and garden industry bringing in billions of dollars annually. Gardeners see the value in planting and growing their own produce. But there are other benefits besides promoting healthier choices, relieving stress, and saving money in the grocery store. Gardening can also teach you a lot about life. Here are three tips you can apply to your garden and life to reap a harvest that will make you proud.
Appreciate Small Beginnings
Small beginnings are essential in plants and trees. Oak trees that stand over 50 feet tall started from just a tiny seed inside of an acorn. You can appreciate the beauty of a White Oak tree on a deeper level when you consider the growth process from a small seed to a strong tree. The plants in your garden will start with small beginnings too. Once you’ve settled on gardening as your new hobby and researched giy plants, your excitement will grow faster than your produce.
But remember that every plant starts with a small shoot. Small beginnings can lead to amazing outcomes in life. Think about the amount of your first paycheck from your first job, the number of seconds you could hold your first plank, or how long it took you to read your first book.
When you set goals in life, don’t forget that getting started is the hardest part. Starting small is the key, and it leads to better progress. Your garden may be a few rows of tiny little plants, but soon you will have a basket of home-grown tomatoes and yellow squash!
Location is Everything
Depending on your living arrangements, an outdoor garden may not be feasible. The location of your garden is essential to its growth. Indoor gardens have become increasingly popular with smart garden systems and indoor garden kits advancing the horticulture industry. If you have the yard space for an outdoor garden, you’ll need to choose an area that gets the most direct sunlight.
It’s important to be close to the resources you need for growth. You need resources like food and water for physical growth, but you need friends and family for emotional and psychological growth. Maybe it’s not always a good idea to live too close to your mother-in-law or worrisome sibling, but the people in your life help shape who you are.
Part of your personal development is knowing who you should let occupy your personal space and how to position yourself for success. There may be a time in your life when you chose to relocate due to a job offer. You may even consider moving closer to family to have more support for a new baby on the way. Life is about choices, and you should choose where to position yourself based on where your resources are so you can grow and thrive like your cucumber plants.
You Reap What You Sow
As a new gardener, there is a lot to learn. You will probably make some mistakes. You could choose the wrong location, overwater your plants, or underestimate pest control. But one thing you will not do is accidentally plant something you didn’t want. Whatever you put into the ground, that’s what you get out of it. Have you ever seen an apple on a pear tree? No, you haven’t. If you plant watermelon seeds, you’re going to get watermelon.
Life is very similar in that way. You are reaping the harvest now of seeds you planted a decade ago. If you sow good seeds in your professional and personal life, you can enjoy the fruit of your labor when the season is right.
There will always be good and bad seasons in life. But the more good you put in, the more you will get out. When you plant an apple tree, you’re going to get apples. Life and gardening teach that you reap what you sow.
Final Thoughts
Gardening is a popular hobby for many Americans, and the lawn and garden industry is booming. Whether you want to grow herbs, fruit, or vegetables, you can have a thriving garden with a little education and a lot of patience.
Gardeners experience benefits like improved health, better mood, and curb appeal. But there are a few life lessons you can learn from gardening too. You can learn to appreciate small beginnings, pay attention to your location or surroundings, and that you reap what you sow.
You can’t always control what you get out of life. You can, however, control what you plant. When it comes to life and gardening, it’s best to plant lemons and then make lemonade.
FAQs
You can learn to appreciate small beginnings, pay attention to your location or surroundings, and that you reap what you sow.
What does gardening teach us? ›
Through working in a garden, kids learn that they are part of the natural world. They see the seasons and rhythm of nature and discover how they are part of a bigger connected world of living creatures. They also learn that there are seasons to life. Time to plant, a season of vigorous growth, and a time to harvest.
What can gardening teach us about life with God? ›
Gardening requires cooperation, not control
Nature knows what it's doing because God designed it that way. Try as we might, humans haven't yet found ways to improve the processes of nature. Grocery stores fool us into thinking anything grows anytime, but gardening teaches us to submit to the seasons.
How gardening can extend your life? ›
Gardening is good for you. Studies show it is real exercise, with benefits that may include everything from stronger hands to healthier hearts and longer lives. One Swedish study found lower rates of stroke, heart attack and early death among older gardeners, regardless of their other exercise habits.
What does growing a garden teach children? ›
While working in the garden, preschoolers develop fine motor control and also work larger muscles: gardening uses practically every muscle in the body. Sensorial lessons are found throughout the garden; preschoolers can practice color recognition, identify fragrances, and learn how fresh food tastes.
How does gardening benefit you? ›
Working in the garden restores dexterity and strength, and the aerobic exercise that is involved can easily use the same number of calories as might be expended in a gym. Digging, raking and mowing are particularly calorie intense;43 there is a gym outside many a window.
Is gardening a life skill? ›
Growing healthy plants requires time and patience, and it's essential for children to learn how to care for them properly. By engaging in gardening, kids can develop core life skills, which will also contribute to their sensory and physical development.
What do plants teach us about life? ›
Plants remind us of the importance of maintaining supportive relationships and emphasizing self-care to achieve personal growth. Plants bring beauty to our surroundings, but they also teach beautiful life lessons. They offer a master class on the power of perseverance, patience, adaptability, and resilience.
Does gardening bring you closer to God? ›
Gardening reminds us of the deep dependence that we have on God. We are in need of His grace. We are in need of His help. He is our Creator and He knows what is best for us.
What does gardening do for your soul? ›
Garden Training. Healing gardens are good for your soul and morale. They can improve your mood and help with depression, and they have even been proven to increase our physical wellbeing.
Gardening and being among nature has been shown to improve mental and physical health. It is increasingly acknowledged that gardens and green spaces are associated with better physical, social and mental health(1,2).
Does gardening make you happier? ›
According to research, getting your hands in the soil and contact with a specific soil bacteria called Mycobacterium Vaccae triggers the release of serotonin in our brain. Serotonin is a natural anti-depressant and also strengthens the immune system. It is the Lack of serotonin in the brain causes depression.
How does gardening help your brain? ›
It's been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It's very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest and share your own food. Routines provide structure to our day and are linked to improved mental health.
What are the values of gardening? ›
These values include integrity, ingenuity, and an appreciation for the things in life that we consider beautiful or worth expending our energy, time, and effort on. One of those things that many of us love sharing with our children is our love of gardening!
How does gardening help a child's emotional development? ›
Gardening allows children to connect with nature and each other. They are touching, seeing, smelling, hearing, and at harvest time, tasting nature. And throughout all of these acts they are building confidence. Children who engage in gardening become immersed in a world that does not judge.
Why is teaching like gardening? ›
Just like teaching, gardening requires patience, problem-solving, and perseverance. Gardeners nurture their crops with proper soil, water, and sunlight.
Why is gardening educational? ›
Project-based learning improves students' knowledge and understanding of ecology and the environment. A garden offers an ideal area to teach and reinforce ideas and concepts about plant science, biology, chemistry, soil science, and math.
Why does gardening matter? ›
It's been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It's very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest and share your own food. Routines provide structure to our day and are linked to improved mental health. Gardening routines, like watering and weeding, can create a soothing rhythm to ease stress.
