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10 reasons to get gardening

Just in case you need an excuse to get outdoors and get stuck into planting and digging, here are 10 reasons to get going

1. Gardening is good for you

Numerous studies show that gardening is good for both the body and the mind. So good in fact that some GPs have even started writing prescriptions for gardening! The benefits can be as varied as reduced stress to increased fitness and improved vitamin D levels.

2. You can grow delicious fruit and veg on your doorstep

Some excellent varieties of fruit cannot be grown for commerical use as they don't, for example, travel or keep well, but all the better for home gardeners! 
Once you’ve tried a juicy, fully-ripe homegrown strawberry, still warm from the sun, you’ll never want to buy a plastic pack of them from the supermarket again. Quite often the tastiest and most beautiful varieties are only available if you grow your own, plus, you are reducing your plastic consumption.

3. Gardening is good for the planet

Choose fruit and vegetables that are either grown locally or, better still, from your own garden if you want to reduce environmental impact
Think of the environmental impact of homegrown fruit, vegetables and flowers versus those flown halfway round the world. And at home you can be certain of just how many (or how few) pesticides and herbicides have been used in their production.

4. Gardening is fun

Discover gardening together with your family and your children are likely to reap the benefits for the rest of their lives
Get a sense of pride and achievement – whether it’s from growing some flowers from seed, cultivating a prize dahlia or simply improving your outside space in some way, the rewards of gardening can be profound and long-lasting.

5. Gardening grows relationships and communities

Social isolation is an increasing problem but gardening can help people get together and meet new friends
Simply by being out in your front garden, if you have one, invites interaction with neighbours and other people in your local area. Why not take it a step further and join a community gardening group?

6. A nice garden increases the value of your home...

Give your home kerb appeal by paying some attention to how your house and front garden looks
...by up to an incredible 20% (source: The Telegraph, May 2016). For an average-priced house that’s tens of thousands of pounds – something to think about when clearing fallen leaves or weeding!

7. Save money on your grocery bills and days out

Grow flowers for cutting for the house and save a small fortune on supermarket bunches
If you grow your own fruit, veg and flowers you’ll save plenty of money, especially if you stick to high-value crops like berries, cherry tomatoes and salads. And if your garden is a nice place to be you’ll be less likely to feel the need to go on expensive days out when you’ve got a slice of paradise right outside the back door.

8. It’s a great way to teach kids a range of subjects

Make sure children know where their food comes from, and give them a taste, literally, of the fabulous flavours of home-grown fruit and vegetables
Many parts of gardening can relate to something in the National Curriculum. From the maths of seed sowing and spacing out to the physics of how a greenhouse works and the chemistry and biology of soils and plant growth, not to mention the many ways gardens relate to art and history.

9. Gardening can be great for wildlife

Our gardens are a vital home for wildlife and many species really need our help if they are to survive
Good news: attracting wildlife to your garden is easy and enormously rewarding. A pond is a great place to start but even a bird bath or bird box will have a positive effect. Plant lots of colourful flowers and watch the bees and butterflies come flying in.

10. The garden is a great source of home-grown presents

Get creative with plants to decorate and dress your home and make unique gifts
How much nicer is a home-grown bunch of flowers than something picked up in a hurry from a supermarket? Or a pot of plants lovingly tended for months before being gifted? And they’re cheaper too…

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We've got lots of guides to show you how to get started with gardening. From sowing seeds for the first time to planting a pretty border, we can show you how. 

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.