Why Gardening Is Important?

Apart from the physical and cognitive benefits of gardening, Gardening has other contributing factors for individuals, communities, and the globe. These contributing factors consist of:

Community Education and Involvement

Social interactions

Community gardens open volunteer opportunities to community members, where positive social interactions can flourish and community relationships can be built (Soga, Gaston & Yamaura, 2016).

Food Education and Learning Opportunities

Implementing school gardening programs helps to provide children with basic nutritional knowledge and familiarity with various produce. Once children are acquaintances with more fruit and vegetables, they may be more inclined to include these in their diet (Hermann, Parker, Brown, Siewe, Denney, & Walker, 2006).

Responsibility

Maintaining a garden can teach individuals a sense of responsibility, especially young children. Growing and harvesting produce requires time and attention. Learning the importance of responsibility is an immeasurable lesson. 

Environmental

Sustainability

Taking the time to learn about the intricacies of gardening will lead you to the worlds of horticulture and environmentalism. Understanding the effects of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides on the water and soil, as well as, the benefits of composting may help improve general knowledge of environmental health and sustainability.

Carbon Footprint

Growing and utilizing your own seasonal produce would reduce the use of transported fruit and vegetables. This would help to reduce our carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Air Quality

Plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen; hence, one can help improve air quality through gardening.
 

Health Benefits

Physical Activity

Gardening is considered physical activity, which means gardening is associated with reduced body mass index, anxiety and depression symptoms, and increases in cognitive function (Soga et al., 2016).

Leisure

In a Horttechnologyarticle, it is mentioned that gardening is a popular leisure time activity. People can find this activity quite relaxing. It is ones opportunity to slow down and decompress; a moment of their day where they have time for themselves (Park, Lee, Son, Lee, & Kim, 2016).