Gardening May Enhance Your Health

Feeling down lately? Then it’s the perfect time to plant some veggies. Did you know that growing your own plants can help improve your mental and physical well-being? Community and home gardens were popular during the World Wars to help replenish food supplies and have recently made a comeback in the modern era. New research suggests that urban agriculture encourages local food production, improves access to healthy foods and may enhance your health.

Researchers conducted a study in Baltimore that explored the perceived benefits of community gardening to better understand the variety of factors influencing gardeners’ participation. In-depth group interviews revealed that gardens provide a sanctuary from urban decay while uplifting city neighborhoods. Individuals reported that gardening gives them a sense of pride and fosters a connection with nature. Gardening also benefits the neighborhood and community; gardeners reported enhanced relationships with their neighbors and noted that gardens improve the food environment.

Gardeners reported that participation in community gardening directly enhanced physical health and nutrition with the reward of growing high-quality, fresh food. Most gardeners took pride in the taste and freshness of their own grown foods. Gardening is also a great way to get people up and moving.

Bottom Line: The variety of perceived benefits that gardens provide can serve as a tactic for developing healthy urban environments. Community gardening is one method to help rejuvenate urban environments and provides a way of addressing urban problems such as limited food access, safety and community cohesion. In addition, community gardens nurture physical and psychological well-being, foster community activities and repurpose degraded urban lots.

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