By Nadie VanZandt
Extension Master Gardener
University of Vermont
Research shows that spending time in nature enhances our physical and mental well-being, so it’s no surprise that gardening offers similar benefits, including reducing stress, anxiety and negative thoughts. Gardening is an all-around wonderful activity for the body and soul.
Gardening offers access to sunlight, nature, physical activity and social interaction—each a key contributor to a healthy lifestyle.
Sunlight activates the formation of vitamin D, a vitamin essential for bone health and support of your immune system. At the same time, digging, raking, lifting and walking improve your physical strength and aerobic fitness. In addition, the fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables you harvest offer nutritious, clean food that further supports your overall health.
Gardening is a natural icebreaker, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. By sharing your garden’s bounty, whether flowers or vegetables, you connect with others. This act of generosity promotes a sense of purpose and can lift your spirits.
Gardening teaches many life lessons in humility, patience, hard work, appreciation of nature and its life cycle and much more. British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll said it best, noting that “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”
When taking a stroll around your neighborhood, do you stop to admire a well-tended front yard? Can you feel yourself relax? To garden is to make the world more beautiful, and beauty can be a powerful remedy against anger and stress.
For many years, therapeutic gardens have been incorporated in hospitals, to enhance the environment for patients, visitors and staff. Interestingly, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a physician known as the “Father of American Psychiatry” and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was the first to record the positive effect of gardening on patients suffering from mental illness.
Since then, many studies have supported the beneficial role of gardening on well-being and general health. A recent Japanese study concluded that “viewing plants altered EEG recordings and reduced stress, fear, anger and sadness, as well as reducing blood pressure, pulse rate and muscle tension.” In addition, an Australian study remarked that gardening was more effective than walking in reducing the risk of dementia, mental health problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Not everyone has access to a plot of land, especially those living in apartment buildings or those confined in their homes. However, you are not limited to growing plants outdoors. Indoor gardening and growing plants in containers offer similar benefits. If you’ve ever grown an amaryllis for the holidays, you experienced the same exhilaration as watching a plant grow outside.
Fall is a great season to explore the health benefits of gardening. There is still time to plant bulbs, decorate your home with gourds and pumpkins, and plant shrubs, trees and perennials.
If you live alone, consider joining a garden club or community garden to make new friends. In Vermont, you can also visit the Vermont Garden Network at where maps will help you locate a community garden near you.
As another option, think about volunteering to help the home-bound who cannot tend to their garden. You will both share a common interest and form a new relationship. ̽̽ Extension Master Gardener program provides training on gardening for those interested in volunteering in their communities. Learn more at .
Gardening is a peaceful, meditative escape that nurtures mind and body while deepening your connection with nature. Why not give it a try?