Gardening is a time-consuming hobby. It may take hours just to weed and water all of your plants depending on your garden size. Not to mention going to the gardening store and spending money on soil, fertilizer and new plants to add to your collection. Many times gardening seems like something that would be better left out of your life or taken care of by a service. Despite the hassle of buying, tending to and spending time on your garden, being outside has a ton of benefits (and nothing can compare to the satisfaction of having a beautiful place to read, sunbathe or play with your dog in a space that you created with your own two hands)!

1. Stress relief

Gardening is a great way to promote stress-relief. Being outdoors is known to boost relaxation. Moreover, growing a vegetable garden can make it easier to maintain a healthy diet (which can reduce the effects of stress on the body).

2. Exercise

If you are lacking exercise, gardening is a great opportunity to get outside and get your daily workout. The best part is that you just have to go to your backyard.

3. Vitamin D

Being outside also allows you to get some much-needed Vitamin D. Vitamin D maintains calcium levels and helps promote healthy bones.

4. Horticultural therapy

Gardening is therapeutic. It does more than just relieve stress! Horticultural therapy is meant to improve the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life. A therapist leads gardening activities as a form of treatment.

5. Socialization opportunities

Lastly, gardening provides time to socialize. Many communities have local gardens that invite people to help harvest and plant. This allows you to meet more members of your community and be involved in volunteer work.

Gardening is hard work. It takes determination and requires the gardener to be prepared for winter to strip away their creation after summer has ended. However, it is all worth it for the benefits received from spending time outside and getting active. Start planning your garden now by looking up plants that fit your climate. Maybe even start simple with a little house plant to care for. It is obvious that time around nature is time well spent.