Believe it or not, home gardening is America’s No. 1 favorite hobby and it’s also one of the most rewarding activities that you can pursue, mood-wise.
From early blooming daffodils and tulips to colorful perennial plants and shrubs, rock garden alpine wildflowers to romantic roses – there’s an endless variety of garden plantings to suit your unique circumstances whether you’re tilling a window box in New York City or a 200-square foot backyard plot in Pasadena.
Planning out a garden bed or plot, with the inspiration of colorful seed catalogs, is a great way to spend a dreary winter’s day. Then with the arrival of spring, getting outside in the early morning sunshine each day, digging in the good earth, planting, tending and watching your garden babies flourish can be as beneficial as a gym workout and a meditation session combined!
Now, it seems, there’s one type of gardening that makes people feel the happiest of all. According to Graham Ambrose, a research specialist in Princeton’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, growing your own vegetables will give you the biggest mood boost. This was one finding from a study he co-authored involving 370 people in the U.S. who reported their emotional well-being during 15 different daily activities.
So there you have it. Even if you don't particularly like beets or zucchini, growing them will make you feel great, and sharing your harvest with those who do will make you feel even better.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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