Ever thought of owning a B-E-A-utiful garden like the one below in the picture? You don’t need to wait any longer. The time is perfect to get started on it!

Sharad2                                                                      Photo Credit: http://decor-catalogue.com/

I have always been fond of gardening. While some may only see the obvious benefits such as fresh vegetables & fruits and green space, I am attracted to a lot of other personal and social benefits from it. For me, it holds the key to the physical and psychological well-being of urban life. I am especially grateful for these three major benefits that my garden provides me and my family:

  1. Physical Activity – While a lot of us sign up for Gym memberships and promise ourselves to get engaged in a daily physical activity as a New Year resolution, we seldom carry it out. A backyard garden gives us enough motivation right outside our door for your daily dose of physical activity. A good hour workout in your garden will definitely give our muscles and joints enough exercise for the day.
  2. Finding Inner Peace – Living in a chaotic big city can often be mentally exhausting. A full day’s stress is a lot for our brain and we need to refresh it from time to time. A backyard garden provides a perfect place for calm and peace. It provides a time and space to reflect on ourselves and recharge our psychological health. I often spend time wondering in my backyard watering the plants which helps me think through my day and go to bed in peace.
  3. Social Harmony Amongst Neighbors & Relatives – Our garden is the thing that really outstands amongst our family and neighbors. Here in Nepal, It is customary to bring some sort of fruit or vegetable whenever you go to visit a family member. What I often do is grab something from my garden (usually a vegetable). We also share the produce with our neighbors and friends. This helps towards improving our social relationships as well as promotes the idea of sharing our resources.