Why I Garden

Reader Contribution by Lois Hoffman
Published on October 11, 2019
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Whew! Another gardening season is almost in the books. The last few weeks have been spent in the kitchen cleaning, chopping, canning and freezing veggies. On a good note, the pantry is full. The garden has been fruitful in spite of dealing with bugs, fungus, weeds, too much rain, not enough rain and critters.

As I am getting older, just a tad bit, this year I have been asked more than a few times why I go to the bother to have a garden. Besides the work, it ties me down…no summer vacation here. It probably is more expensive than it would be to just buy the veggies, cost-wise I have never figured it up because I really don’t want to know.

So, why do I do it? Well, there are the obvious reasons like knowing where your food comes from and how it is raised; having fresh produce whenever you want it; and having exactly what you want, when you want it. But, there is more to it than that. There are so many reasons why I would recommend having a garden to everyone, regardless of where you live.

First of all, it is good for your health. Sure, the fresh veggies are good for you, but just the act of gardening provides a host of health benefits. With planting, weeding and harvesting, working the garden provides plenty of exercise. It has been proven to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and stroke, as well as improve the immune system…and those are just the physical benefits.

Gardening does wonders to reduce depression, anger and stress. These days, most careers offer their fair dose of stress with looming deadlines, peer pressure and being tied to technology for long hours. I dare anyone to walk away from a garden and not feel less stressed. Fresh air, sunshine and, sometimes, soothing raindrops do wonders to soothe the soul. When I am there, it is just me and my garden.

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