Gardening Can Make You Happy, Really?

Gardening has been a chosen hobby for home owners for many years, and many people have claimed that gardening can improve your mood, but can gardening actually affect your happiness? Let’s take a look…

The Facts and Stats

A survey by Gardener’s World Magazine published recently showed that 67% of people that have no hobby, or hobbies based indoors are satisfied with their lives. Compare this to gardeners, as it was found that 80% of people claim to be satisfied with their life.  That’s a massive increase of 13%, that’s a statistic that can’t be ignored.

That percentage difference may not come as a surprise to you, especially if you’re a gardener reading this article. Being in the garden, engaging with the great outdoors, and getting your fingers green is something that many people look forward to as winter starts to retreat and spring starts to peek through with many gardeners braving the winter cold to continue their gardening through all seasons, bringing their plants indoors or seeking the shelter of a greenhouse.

The survey results didn’t stop there. It was also discovered that gardeners have a more positive outlook on life, and the more you garden, the more positive you are. Gardener’s World found that people who spent 6 or more hours a week gardening rated their own well being at 87% rather than the 81% rated by those who spend less than 6 hours a week gardening. The stats are impressive and very conclusive, but what is it about gardening that has such an influence?

What’s the Secret?

What is gardening’s secret? Was is it that improves our outlook and general happiness? There are no conclusive facts, as what makes someone happy is a matter of opinion. Maybe it’s the fact that we like to see our efforts and hard work blossom into something that looks great, that we can be proud of and can be enjoyed by others. It could be the feeling of success we gain when we harvest a crop of vegetables that we planted ourselves and have cared for and natured through all weathers. Maybe it’s just simply being outside and getting plenty of fresh and oxygen-rich air. I don’t know, but what I do know is that 80% is a very high number, and if happiness can be influenced by getting outside for a few hours a week, then it’s well worth getting your fingers dirty and sprucing up your outdoor space.

See what other benefits gardening brings…

Note from www.herbgardenplanner.com: 

Gardening is not just a hobby but also provides health, community and social benefits. Lets produce your favorite foods by yours. 

Special thanks to Ellis Wakefield (www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/blog) for above article.