Health Benefits of Gardening: Why Getting Your Hands Dirty Is Good for You
From work to home responsibilities, life throws a lot at us. Research shows having a creative outlet can help. For some people, that’s creating art, playing music, or exercising. Another way to take care of your body and mind is to garden.
So why is gardening good for you? The health benefits of gardening go beyond a beautiful yard. Getting your hands in the dirt is associated with a long list of physical and mental health benefits. Whether you have a sprawling backyard in McMurray or a sunny patio in Pittsburgh, even just a few minutes a day in the company of plants can support your overall well-being.
Gardening as a Stress Reliever
The mental health benefits of gardening are well supported by research, and stress relief is where many of those benefits start.
The science of stress relief. Studies have found that spending time in nature, including gardening, helps lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, and can reduce overall stress levels.
The “dirt therapy” angle. Soil itself may play a role in boosting mood. Research on Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacterium naturally found in soil, suggests that contact with it can trigger the release of serotonin in the brain, the same neurotransmitter targeted by many antidepressants.
Mindfulness in the garden. Gardening keeps you present. Weeding, watering, and watching for new growth are quiet, focused acts that ask for your full attention. It’s a natural form of mindfulness that pulls you out of the day’s mental noise and into the moment in front of you. This is one of the many mental health benefits of gardening.
Anxiety and depression. Multiple studies have linked regular gardening to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, making it a low-cost, accessible complement to other forms of self-care.
Looking to build a corner of your yard dedicated to calm? Explore our full perennial inventory to help you choose the right plants for a peaceful retreat. We also host yoga, container workshops, and other events that can help you reset: View our event calendar.
Physical Health Benefits of Gardening
It counts as exercise. Digging, planting, weeding, and hauling bags of soil are all forms of moderate physical activity. Depending on the task and your effort level, gardening can burn anywhere from roughly 200 to 400 calories an hour, putting it on par with a brisk walk or other moderate-intensity exercise. Heavier jobs like digging, tilling, or hauling dirt can push that number even higher.
Vitamin D. Time outdoors means sun exposure, and sun exposure supports healthy vitamin D levels, which play an important role in bone health, immune function, and mood.
Strength, flexibility, and balance. The varied movements involved in gardening, like kneeling, reaching, gripping, and lifting, help support fine motor skills, joint flexibility, and balance over time. It’s functional fitness that happens to also produce tomatoes.
Ready to put some of that energy to work? Check out 5 perennial garden designs you can install in a weekend, or browse our list of 27 pollinator plants, trees, and shrubs to bring more life into your yard.
If you’re feeling inspired to take your outdoor space further, the team at Bedner’s Landscape & Design is happy to help.
Benefits of Growing Your Own Food
You know exactly what’s in it. Homegrown produce means no mystery pesticides and more control over what ends up on your family’s table. Research also shows that freshly harvested vegetables tend to retain more nutrients than store-bought produce that has traveled long distances to reach your kitchen.
The satisfaction loop. There’s something deeply rewarding about the full cycle of planting a seed, tending it through the season, harvesting it, and finally eating it. That sense of accomplishment is real, and it’s well-documented as a genuine mood booster.
Cost savings. A well-tended vegetable garden can return meaningful savings on your grocery bill over the course of a growing season, especially once you factor in the cost of seeds versus the price of produce at the store.
Not sure where to begin? Get your plant locally and skip the guesswork of starting from seed.
Celebrate Wellness Week at Bedner’s
Ready to experience the health benefits of gardening firsthand? In July, Bedner’s Farm & Greenhouse is celebrating Wellness Week with events designed to help you slow down, get outside, and reconnect with the garden.
Wellness Party – Saturday, July 18
Classes and Workshops
9:00am Barre3 + Bouquets
10:00am Pick Your Own Bouquet
11:00am Aromatherapy Bowl Planter
12:00pm Yoga on the Farm with JackHammer Fit
Local vendors + food
11:00am – 3:00pm
Live music
1:00pm – 3:00pm
View Wellness Week Events
