Active Aging Presented by Public Health Seattle-King County
With the warmth of spring and longer days comes a return to the outdoors. Gardening is the perfect hobby to start this season, and it’s especially perfect for new retirees and older adults who have extra time to tend their plots.
Gardening for Your Health
Gardening is more than just another hobby. In addition to being fun, relaxing, and interesting, it’s also great for your overall well-being.
Physical Benefits
Gardening is a form of exercise! By the time you kneel, dig, water, walk, prune, and harvest, you’ve done quite a lot of work. Any kind of physical activity helps reduce stress, but working in the garden is especially beneficial. Being in the sunshine can also help reduce muscle tension and lower blood pressure.
Mental Benefits
We know that being in nature can improve mood and mental well-being. Gardening builds on this positive association and adds another dimension: a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Watching your vision come to life and creating a routine around the garden helps add interest and depth to a life that sometimes feels a bit off balance with the absence of daily work in the office.
Social-Emotional Benefits
Research shows that older adults have a lot to gain from being in natural spaces, especially if they share the experience with others. Gardening can be an individual hobby, but many seniors enjoy bonding over their gardens as part of a community. Being outside means you’re more likely to run into neighbors and start a conversation. Even if you tend your garden alone, you can share the fruits, vegetables, and flowers with friends and family to strengthen these relationships.
Tips for Starting a Garden
Gardening is a great hobby because it has lower barriers to entry — with just a few tools, some soil, and seeds, you can get started. If you’d like to make the most of this activity, though, it’s important to take a little bit more time to really plan your plot.
Investigate Your Space and Resources
Gardens can be big, small, and every size and shape in between. Many retirees, especially those who have downsized, may not have a large plot of land for gardening. The good news is that container gardens are perfect for patios, balconies, and shared spaces, so you don’t need an entire lot to have a robust garden. You’ll also want to think about money, time, and available shade/sun. Choose a location for your garden that has easy access to water and that you can tend several times a week without difficulty.
Decide What to Plant
Would you like to grow vegetables or flowers? Do you prefer things that flower all season long or a more muted approach? Deciding what to plant in your garden is one of the most important (and fun!) parts. But the good news is that you don’t have to worry about being too committed; the best gardens undergo change every year, so you can adjust as you discover more about what you enjoy growing.
If you’re growing vegetables, you can find the recommended planting times for your area by following the Farmer’s Almanac guide. You’ll also want to make sure that you include as many native species as possible. Check agricultural colleges in your area for the best lists of native plants, trees, and shrubs.
Start Small
It’s easy to get excited and try to plant everything all in one season. Unfortunately, gardening can be more work than some people anticipate, so start small and scale up. Choose just a few things to plant the first year, then see how incorporating more into the routine would work in the following seasons.
Beyond Simple Gardens
Many retirees find that gardening becomes a central part of their routine after just a few months. If you’re ready to move beyond the initial setup stages, here are a few ideas to take your outdoor space to the next level.
Build a Rain Barrel
One of the benefits of gardening is the critical thinking you’ll do as you make changes and adjust to natural elements. Challenge yourself even more (and keep those mental faculties sharp) by building a simple rain barrel collection system for your garden. Adding special projects and upgrades like this can turn your garden into an impressive undertaking.
Create a Wildlife Habitat
If you’re ready to go beyond a simple garden, think about creating a space that qualifies as a certified wildlife habitat in your area. Even small spaces like patios can qualify, so check these guidelines for the kinds of plants and resources that you’ll need to include.
The best way to begin gardening is to jump right in with your first few plants. Once you feel the dirt and smell the fresh air, you’ll be hooked on this new hobby for the long term.
Active Aging is presented by Public Health- Seattle & King County. Public Health- Seattle & King County recognizes the important and untold stories of innovation, service, and sacrifice by the Black community and supports efforts to improve equity and achieve social justice. We want everyone to get health insurance and access health care. Visit www.kingcounty.gov/health for health insurance, flu and COVID-19 testing locations.
