Get Your Garden Growing This Spring
By Public Relations Specialist Shamika Andrew
Are you ready to get your garden growing? Whether you are a beginner or have a green thumb, there are many benefits to gardening.
A busy day in the garden can be a good form of exercise. While tending a garden, you perform squats and lunges while weeding. Carrying bags of mulch and other supplies works your arm muscles. Digging, raking, and using a push mower can all be physically intense activities. Additionally, soaking up ultraviolet light from the sun produces vitamin D, which can support your physical and mental health by improving nutrient absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and increasing serotonin.
Reap the benefits of gardening this spring.
Nearly all forms of exercise can reduce stress, including gardening. People tend to breathe deeper when outside, which may reduce stress levels. Gardening routines, like watering and weeding, can ease stress.
Growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables can have a positive impact on your diet. Gardeners are more likely to include what they grow in their meals, increasing dietary variety and fiber intake. Fresh fruits and vegetables can inspire new recipes and bring people together in the kitchen.
It is gratifying to plant, tend, harvest, and share your food. The gardening community is rich with people willing to share their expertise and harvest with others.
Here are some helpful gardening tips to get your garden started:
- Choose what you want to grow for your starters; get seeds that will grow in the climate in which you live.
- Early spring is the best time to plant your seeds with the short window for the growing season in Alaska.
- Keep your seed starts moist; you do not want them to dry out.
- Find out where you are going to place your garden to get enough sunlight, and research which plants might grow better together.
- The best time to replant your seedlings is in June, when the weather is getting warmer.
Spring is here, so do not miss out on this perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty!
Learn how regularly tending to a garden benefits your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. Contact Health Education for more information at (907) 729-2689.
