There’s no doubt about the benefits of starting a garden. It’s a hobby that can help you improve many areas of your life. Here are some little-known benefits of growing your own food that could inspire you to start doing so if you haven’t already.

Gardening Counts as Exercise

Many people know that exercising on a regular basis is beneficial for them, but they may not know that gardening can count as exercise. This may be true for the over 60% of women in the United States who do not engage in the amount of physical activity that they’re recommended to do. If they could start a garden at home, no matter how small, it would help them to get some physical activity that they otherwise weren’t getting. You will also benefit from spending time outdoors in nature, so start small and you can scale up as you get more experience in gardening.

You Can Save Money

For every additional item that you don’t have to go to the store to buy, you can put a little money aside to save. This means that, over time, you may save money by growing your own food. You can effectively grow enough to sustain yourself and this will save you additional trips to the grocery store. Many people wouldn’t mind exchanging the time they spend in traffic for time working in their garden, weeding, or planting the next crop. Experiment with different plants to create a variety of options to harvest. You can still save money even if you have to supplement what you cannot grow since you’re reduced your food budget already.

You Have Easy Access to Healthier Food

Needless to say, growing more of your own food is a great way to start eating healthier meals. This is because you won’t have to make a trip to the store every single time you want to eat fresh food. The easier it is for you to get fresh food, the more compelled you may be to cook healthier recipes. Food products that have fatty acids and oil will go bad if they are improperly packaged, so it’s great to be able to access fresh food as it won’t come with such risks.

You Live More Sustainably

Growing your own food helps you leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment. This is because you rely less on food that has to be processed, even if minimally. You also increase the amount of greenery in your environment, something that will benefit the planet and your overall well-being. When you start a garden, you will make your immediate environment a bit greener and possibly inspire others around you to do the same. This can accumulate into great positivity for the environment and it can also help you develop a tighter bond with your family.

You Worry Less About Food Safety

When you have a garden to grow your own food, you can be sure it’s grown in good conditions. You don’t have to spray it with potentially harmful pesticides and fertilizers, but will likely look for safer alternatives. This is because you know your continued health depends on eating healthy food. For the sake of your health and that of your entire family, you may enjoy growing your own food as it can promote peace of mind. You may also be more inspired to keep your home clean and organized if you have a garden. This is because you need to know where your gardening supplies are. With more than 50% of homeowners saying that their garage is their house’s most disorganized area, it may become easier to keep yours organized if you have to interact with it regularly while gardening. The garage is one of the best locations to store garden tools, bags of soil and mulch, and plants before they are ready to be planted.

Clearly, starting a garden can do a lot of good for you and your family. Don’t be intimidated by the terms you hear online and the requirements you may need to start a garden. You can start small and with plants that you’re comfortable growing, and over time, you could scale up and enjoy the entire process.

Gardening gives your home the required curb appeal and does wonder for your well-being. Physical exercise keeps blood pressure in check and contributes to a healthy weight, and interactions with flora improve your mental health and mood. Below is a list of ways to maintain your garden.

Watering

Watering the plants is crucial and should be done early in the morning and evening. The soil is cooler during this time, which prevents more water from evaporating. Water your plants gently to minimize soil damage, and avoid overwatering the leaves to reduce fungal infections. Consider using drip irrigation to regulate the moisture in the soil and save more water. Moss or mold growth means that you have been overwatering the plants, and brown or dead leaves and wilting of plants are an indication that you are underwatering the plants.

Prevent and Control Pests

Pests tend to eat and kill flowers and plants, which makes it crucial to keep them at bay. Prevent pests from accessing your plants by installing traps and barriers and by using natural pesticides such as diatomaceous earth. The pests you should be aware of include mites, bugs, whiteflies, aphids, and gnats, but you should also keep in mind that some mammals can cause problems too. Squirrels, for example, are notorious for stripping the bark off trees and killing them, so the only way to solve the issue is to hire a squirrel exterminator to trap them and remove them humanely.

Prevent and Control Diseases

Just like pests, diseases cause harm to plants. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses cause most conditions affecting plants, and those diseases you should be wary of include bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose, and white rust. Prevent fungal infections by minimizing overwatering plants and viral diseases by using clean pruning and weeding tools. Use appropriate chemicals to deal with the disease-causing microorganisms.

Thin and Cull Your Plants

Thinning entails the removal of excess plants to establish room for other plants to grow. Carry out this process if the garden has minimal resources for the flowers. Culling, on the other hand, involves the removal of weak, inferior, and diseased plants to control diseases and pests and give room for the remaining plants. Remove undesirable plants in the flower garden to facilitate the growth of healthy ones.

Stake Your Plants

Staking provides the necessary support for plant stems. It involves fixing a rod or stake to the ground and tying a stem to it. It is done where plants need to grow in a specific direction and on plants with weak stems. Use bamboo sticks and any other light wood to support vulnerable stemmed plants. Fix the posts onto the ground and tie such stems with garden tape, threads, or strips of cloth. Reports from the Insurance Information Institute indicate that winter storms are the third-largest cause of property damage, including collapsed roofs, and destroy unsupported plants.

Easy Ways You Can Improve Indoor Air Quality

Improving indoor air quality helps you avoid allergy symptoms and asthma flare-ups. Eliminating all allergens inside your home may be impossible, but one can reduce exposure to them. Below is a list of strategies to improve indoor air quality.

Invest in an Air Purifier

If you are allergic to allergens inside your house and cannot control the source of the problem, using an air purifier is essential. Position such devices in the most used areas inside the house to capture irritants that trigger allergic symptoms. Position a dehumidifier in damp areas such as the basement to prevent mold growth. Ensure the bathrooms are well ventilated and scrub off visible mold on fixtures, in the shower, or walls.

Change Your Filters

Ensure you change the filters regularly if you have installed a forced-air heating system. Install an electrostatic filter to ensure that airborne irritants and dust are trapped rather than recirculated inside your house. Ensure you clean your ducts regularly to remove dust that may be trapped inside. Indoor air quality, according to the EPA, is two to five times worse than outdoor air.

Assess Beneath the Sink and Cabinets

The inside cabinets and underneath the sink are not in the spotlight most of the time. A small leak may go undetected, increasing humidity and allowing mold spores to thrive. Clean and inspect such spaces regularly to minimize the occurrence of moldy problems to enable such fixtures to last up to 50 years.

Caring for outdoor plants and maintaining indoor air quality is essential. Follow the above tips to improve the aesthetic value of your home and achieve the required curb appeal.

Volunteering is an amazing way to give back to society and spend your time in a fulfilling way. If you’re wondering whether to volunteer or what to volunteer for, there are a number of causes to volunteer for, including eco-friendly gardening. Read on to see four reasons why you should consider volunteering your time in an eco-friendly gardening club, and you might be inspired to do so once you know the benefits.

1. You Spend Time Outdoors

First of all, you might get to spend time productively if you volunteer for an eco-friendly gardening club. This will depend on the season as well as the specific activity that’s set up. When you do this, you will enjoy the benefits that come with being exposed to gardens and the outdoors, which range from relaxing to learning new things. You will also get to meet new people and can network and form new friendships, which could benefit you in the future. This is because roughly 25% of the adult population volunteer their time, energy, and talents to make a difference in the world. All of these advantages you can get from simply signing up for a volunteering activity and showing up make it worth your while.

2. It Will Cost Nothing But Your Time

Volunteering is generally absolutely free, and while you may need to spend some money to get yourself to the volunteering center and back home, along with some personal effects, that’s it. You can even learn how to start a garden of your own and benefit from doing so. If the activity you’re volunteering for tries to get you to pay a subscription fee or sell you something, then it’s most likely a scam that you should stay away from. Before you sign anything or go anywhere, verify the identity and legitimacy of the activity and the organization so that you don’t put yourself in danger.

3. You Can Make a Positive Impact on the Environment

When you volunteer for an eco-friendly gardening club, you will be taking part in activities that stand to make a positive impact on the environment. This is something that we should already all be doing, but that may be difficult for some people to get around to doing. Signing up as a volunteer is a sure way to play your part in keeping the environment green and trying to reverse the damage already done to it, as more than 80% of the most serious sites of hazardous waste in the United States have had a negative impact on the quality of groundwater nearby. You will likely learn new ways of improving the environment for the long term, so you can learn how to live more sustainably.

4. You Set an Amazing Example

Finally, when you volunteer your time and skills to an eco-friendly gardening club, you set a great example for the people around you. If you have young children, they will learn better from seeing you do eco-friendly activities than they will from simply being told that it’s something they can do. If they’re the right age, you can even take them with you to your next volunteering session at a time when they don’t have school or other commitments. You can mold your family to become more environmentally conscious and they, in turn, may teach those that they interact with on a daily basis. This means that the positive impact from just your participation will go a long way and have an amazing effect if you sustain the efforts.

These four reasons should inspire you to sign up as a volunteer for a local eco-friendly gardening club. You may enjoy the time you spend there and the fact that you will also make a positive impact on the environment makes it all the more worth it.

For anyone who loves to garden, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finally finding that perfect plant or piece of equipment. But with so many options available online, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few tips to help you find the best gardening materials online.

1. Only Buy From Secure Sites

When making any purchase online, it’s important to only buy from secure sites. Look for the ‘HTTPS’ in the URL before entering any personal or financial information. This will ensure that your information is encrypted and safe from hackers.

If a site doesn’t have this security measure, move on to another one. There are plenty of reputable gardening retailers out there, so there’s no need to take any chances. Additionally, make sure to only use your credit card on secure sites. This will help protect you from fraud in the event that your information is compromised.

2. Read Reviews

One of the most common forms of internet crime involves using the internet to communicate false information about a product or service. When looking for gardening materials online, be sure to read reviews from multiple sources before making a purchase.

This will help you better understand what others thought about the product before you commit to anything. Additionally, take the time to read the company’s return policy before making a purchase. This way, you’ll know what to do if you’re not satisfied with your purchase.

3. Check the Shipping Costs

One of the biggest mistakes people make when shopping online is forgetting to factor in shipping costs. Be sure to check the shipping cost of any item you’re considering before adding it to your cart.

In some cases, the shipping cost may be more than the actual product. If this is the case, look for another retailer that offers free or discounted shipping.

4. Check for Warranties and Guarantees

When you’re buying expensive gardening equipment, it’s important to ensure that it comes with a warranty or guarantee. This will protect you in the event that the product arrives damaged or doesn’t work as advertised.

Be sure to read the fine print of any warranty or guarantee before making a purchase. This way, you’ll know exactly what’s covered and for how long. Additionally, many retailers offer extended warranties for an additional fee. If you’re planning on using the equipment frequently, it may be worth considering this option.

5. Consider Durability

Gardening equipment can be expensive, so you’ll want to ensure that it’s built to last. When you’re shopping online, look for products that are made from high-quality materials. For example, while a good garden hose can last up to ten years, a cheap one may only last one season.

Additionally, pay attention to the process used to construct the product. For example, look for products that are forged rather than cast. Because forged components have 37% greater fatigue strength than cast components, they have a six-time longer fatigue life. This means that they’re less likely to break under heavy use.

6. Compare Prices

Never forget to compare prices before making a purchase. With so many retailers competing for your business, there’s sure to be a wide range of prices for the same product.

Take the time to find the best deal before committing to anything. Additionally, be sure to sign up for newsletters and follow your favorite retailers on social media. This way, you’ll be the first to know about any sales or discounts.

7. Know When to Shop

Finally, it’s important to know when to shop in order to get the best deals. Many retailers offer discounts at certain times of the year, so it’s important to be aware of these dates. For example, many retailers offer discounts on gardening equipment in the spring. This is because it’s the time of year when people are most likely to start working on their gardens.

So, if you’re looking for gardening materials, be sure to keep these tips in mind. By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to find everything you need at the best possible price. Happy shopping.

Growing a garden is an excellent activity for all ages, but it is especially good for people over the age of 50. Spending time coaxing seedlings to grow or harvesting the results of your hard work can be deeply satisfying. But it is also great for your physical and mental health. Here are a few reasons why, if you’re over 50, you should start gardening this spring season.

Get Some Exercise

Gardening isn’t intense exercise, but it does get your body moving. Between weeding, harvesting, and upkeep, you’ll get your heart rate up and work your muscles. You get a workout without necessarily realizing it since you’re so focused on the task at hand. This makes it a great addition to your daily routine.

As you get older, your body starts to have more problems. While exercise can’t solve all of them, it can help you ward off certain problems and improve existing ones. People over the age of 75 have a 70% chance of needing long-term care. Working in your garden might not prevent you from needing help, but it will give you a healthier foundation to work from as you age.

Enjoy Nature

Time spent in nature can be refreshing, but it doesn’t mean you can only find this rejuvenation deep in the forest or on a mountaintop somewhere. If you grow a garden, you can find it right in your backyard. The majority of people say that spending time in nature is important. A Harris Poll for the National Association of Landscape Professionals found that 75% of Americans feel it is important to spend time outside in their yards. By growing a garden, you can make your yard a more relaxing and enjoyable place to be. This will get you outside more, which will allow you to reap the benefits of spending time in nature as often as possible.

Learn New Things

If you want to keep your mind sharp, you need to always be learning new things. Growing a garden after the age of 50 is a good way to keep learning and exploring the world around you. Not only can engagement keep you sharp, but learning new things can also improve your life on a practical level. For example, you’ll need to learn how to take care of your plants. Food-bearing plants must contend with over 10,000 types of plant-eating insects. If you spend time researching how to protect your plants, you’ll be able to utilize that information and get a better harvest.

Have Fun

Growing a garden is fun! You spend time in the sunshine, you get to work with your hands and mind, and you get delicious results! Even if you don’t consider the documented benefits gardening provides for your physical and mental health, you can just have fun with it. Grow foods you like to eat and watch them slowly form. Or experiment with a new plant or gardening technique. If you grow a garden as a hobby, you don’t need to stress over it. Instead, you can use it to add some fun and excitement to your daily routine.

Just because you’re over the age of 50 does not mean you should stop trying new things. If you’ve never gardened before, this spring season is the perfect time to pick it up. You’ll have fun as you grow beautiful flowers and delicious crops. Then you’ll also reap the benefits of moving your body and engaging your mind, two things that are extremely important to keep doing as you get older. So, take a look at your yard and consider how you could begin a garden in it this season!