There are a few things in life as gratifying as watching the seeds you have planted grow into beautiful flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. It’s not surprising to find, therefore, that in the today’s fast-paced and stressful world, gardening has been proven to have a number of mental-health benefits.

In an office environment, for instance, simply having a small potted plant on one’s desk has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety while also improving the air that they breathe. So if a single plant on a desk can make you feel better mentally and physically, imagine what a daily regimen of rigorous gardening can do for the health of both your mind and body.

A Great Form of Physical Exercise

First off, it’s a well-known fact that engaging in physical exercise contributes to mental health. Tending a garden – be it indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse – always involves a degree of physical exertion, whether you’re trowelling up soil, sowing seeds, or affectionately watering your plants and flowers.

In this regard, it’s helpful to keep a small workshop in which you can store your various gardening equipment and implements. This should include all your seed packets, fertilisers, shovels and trowels, in addition to a good shoe rack – after all, you don’t want to do your outdoor gardening in your best pair of loafers.

It Keeps You in Tune with Nature

Secondly, regular gardening activities can keep you in tune with the ordered cycles of nature, which, in turn, will serve to regulate your own natural rhythms and cycles. It’s been shown, for example, that those who engage in agricultural activities (such as farmers or other pastoralists) enjoy healthier, more regular sleep patterns – another major contributor to good mental health and generally higher energy levels.

You Can See (and Eat) the Fruits of Your Labour

Finally, as mentioned above, there are a few things in life more satisfying than nurturing something and watching it bloom into maturity. In this respect, gardening also offers a great way to teach children the importance of patience. Gardening can be especially a gratifying pastime if you focus your energies on growing edible plants, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant or strawberries, all of which are relatively easy to maintain. And it’s no secret that a meal always tastes better if it includes organic, home-grown ingredients.