🌷Why You Should Plant a Garden 🌷
As the days are warming up and all the plants are starting to green you may be thinking about planting a garden. And if you're not, I am going to give you some reasons to start one. Take this as your sign from the universe to start one.
There are many reasons to grow a garden in your home, both for the environment and yourself. Even if your garden consists of a few flowers or herbs, there are still substantial benefits. Here's why:
Reduces C02 in the air. Starting off with an obvious but important point. The more plants on earth the less C02 in the air. Planting a tree or some flowers is an easy way to help combat climate change.
Reduces carbon footprint. Similar to the first point, when you grow your own food or herbs there is less distance your food needs to travel to reach you. Therefore, there will be less C02 being produced.
Reduces noise pollution. Something you may not have known, but plants are great at absorbing sound. The dynamic surface area of plants work well at absorbing sound. This works better with bigger plants.
Eat fresher food. I don't know about you, but eating food you have grown yourself is just amazing. It tastes better, is fresher and doesn't have the chemicals and pesticides. There are few things more satisfying than eating something you grew yourself. Plus it's cheaper.
Supports local insects and animals and promotes biodiversity. Gardens are homes and/or food supplies for many animals. Bees and butterflies benefit from the flowers for nectar. Frogs and snakes will enjoy the shelter your garden will provide. Additionally, insects and animals will help your garden thrive.
Reduces AC use. Plants, specifically trees, that are placed in certain places around your home can provide a decent amount of shade and therefore require you to use less AC to cool your house. Plants put in the east and west of your house will do the job nicely.
Helps the soil. Plants help provide nutrients for soil but also their roots can help prevent soil erosion. This is thanks to extensive roots systems that help soil stay in place.
Promotes composting. Having a garden can encourage you to learn about composting which is an alternative to just throwing away your trash. Not only is composting great for the soil, it also reduces the trash you're throwing away.
Encourages you to go outside. Going outside is great for so many reasons, especially since we have been inside at home for so long. Being outside reduces stress and blood pressure, improves focus, and provides other health benefits.
Looks nice. This is a really simple benefit, but plants just look nice and will make your home so much more welcoming and warm. Having little plants around your house or apartment will make your place more like a home.
If you're feeling intimidated about starting a garden or just don't know how to start, I highly recommend the graphic novel The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone. I have a review of this book coming soon, but in short this is a graphic novel with a small, fictional subplot that has all the information you need to start planting a garden. It talks about where to plant, what plants are best depending on your climate, troubleshooting and more.
I hope this post gave you that little nudge to plant something. It could be a flower, vegetable, herb or all three! I would love to see your plants and gardens. If you plant something, I would love to see. Feel free to tag me on Instagram on @riversofbooksblog!