10 Reasons You Should Garden

1. Delicious, nutritious food.

Home grown vegetables often have more nutrients than those that have travelled long and far to get to your grocery store. There really is nothing better than eating a salad from 100% freshly picked ingredients!

2. Safer food.

Because you grew it, you are likely not using chemicals or pesticides that are used on large commercial farms. If you are gardening in an urban area, it's not likely to be contaminated with animal waste or other harmful products. When you grow it, you know it!

3. Better health.

Gardening is one of the top 5 activities that seniors love to do in Simcoe County. Did you know you can burn 200-400 calories per hour with moderate gardening? Getting fresh air and working with plants also improves mental and emotional health.

4. Less food waste.

Did you know the average household throws out more than $600 of produce a year? If you are picking only what you need for the next day or two, you are less likely to create as much food waste compared to store-bought veggies, that are often purchased in bulk, and start to go bad as soon as you get it home from the store.

5. Less environmental impact.

Believe it or not, a garden in your backyard helps the planet. Growing food without pesticides and herbicides cuts down on air and water pollution, and less fossil fuel, as there is no need to depend on trucks, boats and planes travelling around the world to bring you imported foods.

6. Fight soil erosion.

Today’s farmers face the worst soil erosion in history — more than 3 billion tons of topsoil every year! Every crop grown in the backyard rather than on a commercial farm helps reduce this very real problem.

7. Save money!

Studies show that for every $1 you spend on seeds, gardening tools and time, you get back nearly $2 in fresh produce! If you are participating in a community garden that receives seed donations, and saves seeds throughout the year, you can get fresh, nutritious vegetables for little to no cost.

8. A sense of pride.

Planting seeds, nurturing them and watching them grow under your care gives you a feeling of accomplishment that’s hard to explain. It’s fun work that helps you nourish your family and maintain your health. Caring for plants is also a great way to teach kids about nature and give them a great sense of pride!

9. Benefit children’s development.

Numerous studies have shown that garden-based education improves academic performance and may lead to overall improvement on standardized achievement tests and improved positive attitudes toward learning. Also, teaching children to garden gives them immeasurable life skills of independence and sustainability while encouraging them to eat more vegetables as well.

10. Build relationships in the community.

Building a garden with a friend, family member or partner is a rewarding bonding experience. You'll work together on a project, whilst learning about each other every step of the way. This makes gardening a great tool for socializing and bonding with people. 

This list is inspired by the post at Garden Weasel