These days my much-used sign that says "In The Garden" is stored away for the season. What can I expect? After all, I garden in zone 5. Separated from my true love, I reflect on why I love gardening so much.
I enjoy being outdoors. It makes me feel alive. Who wants to be in the house when the weather is nice? Whatever needs to be done indoors can always wait for a rainy day.
Gardening connects us with nature. As I garden I'm surrounded by the chatter of birds. When I pull weeds in the strawberry bed and carry them to the compost pile I see the chickadees looking for snacks like cantaloupe seeds. The mockingbird sits in his usual spot on the grape trellis where he reminds me that the fruit belongs to him.
Our gardening activities provide healthful exercise. For those who find the usual exercise routines boring gardening is the answer. As we garden we're so intent on what we're doing that we aren't aware we getting exercise.
Watch those unwanted pounds disappear as you garden. These days we hear a lot about obesity. Our gardening can also help with that. Weeding the garden burns as many calories as tennis doubles. Mowing the lawn is as effective as walking briskly at 3.5 mph.
One study found gardening was especially beneficial to the bones. It was better at preventing osteoporosis than walking. Gardening is particularly good for athletically challenged people. I've never been very skilled at most games and sports, but anyone can garden to some degree. (My friend, who uses a wheelchair, buys special long-handled tools that enable her to garden.)
Gardening has other health benefits. It helps us absorb the Vitamin D we need to build strong bones. At one time we were told to entirely avoid sun exposure due to the risk of skin cancer. Now researchers are finding some people have a deficiency of Vitamin D. So they are actually recommending that those individuals should expose themselves to a little sun every day.
The joy of picking our own homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs is tremendous. This alone makes gardening worthwhile. Each crop can be harvested as it matures. Supermarket produce is often picked early so it doesn't become overripe before it reaches the consumer.
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