Can Practicing Mindfulness Through Gardening (5 Adorable Home Garden Ideas)
Home gardening can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. It is becoming popular among many as they choose to do it as a hobby. However, not many people know about its benefits. Studies have revealed that caring for plants has many benefits to one’s well-being. In addition to improving one’s mood and mental health, gardening provides the physical exercise needed to maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure. Simply put, a home garden can be a form of therapy for our mind and our soul. Home gardening is a good way to practice mindfulness. This article will talk more about gardening and mindfulness.
Benefits Of Home Gardening
Home gardening practice can have some amazing benefits that may surprise you. Now let’s take a look at some of them.
- Helps in building self confidence
- Strengthens your heart
- Keeps you happy
- Strengthens your hand
- Enhances family ties
- Vitamin D boost
- Helps you eat healthy
- Reduces stress
Tips To Get Started With A Home Garden
- Keep it simple
- Decide what you are going to plant
- Have your gardening supplies and tools ready
- Choose the best spot
- Prepare the ground with soil
Home Gardening Methods
You can adapt gardening techniques and styles to suit your space. There are many methods you can choose from, and let’s take a look at some of them.
Best Plants For Home Garden
Choosing the best plants for your home garden really depends on certain factors, such as the space you have, whether your garden is indoors or outdoors, and the gardening method you are going to adapt. If your garden is going to be indoors, there are plants that specifically grow indoors, and you will have to opt for them if you have no outdoor space. A micro-garden concept will work for you if your garden is going to be on a balcony, kitchen counter, porch, small yard, or patio. Bonsai trees, vertical gardening, container gardening, and hanging gardening will be the best for you. Depending on that, you can choose to cultivate fruits, vegetables, flowering plants, and others.
Top 5 Home Garden Ideas
If you have adequate space there is no end to what you can really do. Be creative with your garden space. Here are a few home garden ideas you can use.
- Make DIY items for your garden
- Mini ponds can attract birds to the garden
- Trim shrubs so that it gives a good shape
- Vertical gardens are great if you lack space
- Hanging pots are also ideal for climbers
How Gardening Can Help with Practicing Mindfulness and Improving Mental Well-Being ?
Most people practice mindfulness to improve their mental well-being, but practicing it on a daily basis has been a challenge for many. All the noise in our minds overpowers the practice we are trying to do. Gardening can help with practicing mindfulness for those who can’t really live in the present moment. Before getting into mindful gardening, let us take a look at what mindfulness actually is.
What Is Mindfulness?
To explain it in simple terms, mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of the present moment you are living in by paying attention to all your senses. Mindfulness has been in practice ever since human existence. It has helped people overcome mental chaos and conflicts. Practicing being present improves focus and concentration and helps you live a detached life.
Best 5 Tips To Be A Mindful Gardener
- Remove all distractions
It’s easy to become sidetracked, especially when a task doesn’t provide immediate satisfaction or results. Ensure that your phone is turned off and completely unplugged to put a stop to distractions. Allowing young children to run around and play in the garden may be helpful for parents so that they can keep an eye on them without worrying about what they might be doing inside.
- Appreciate your surrounding
Take some time to truly appreciate all the effort you have already put into creating your own private oasis before starting to tend to your garden. Be appreciative of the garden space you have if you are just starting out. Before picking up tools and getting started, take a moment to center yourself, forget about the workday, and take in all the sights, sounds, and smells around you.
- Use all your senses while gardening
If you want to become a mindful gardener, stop worrying about when your garden will be finished and concentrate on enjoying the journey instead. Consider the feel of the soil in your fingers, the shape of the tangled roots, the softness of the newly budded flowers, and the sweet nectar smell. Enjoy the variety of shifting hues, patterns, and textures, and take note of how stunning everything is even when it is not in full bloom.
- Clear your negativity
Use “weeding” as a visual representation of consciously removing the stressors in your life if you’re having a particularly stressful or difficult day. Imagine yourself letting go of or erasing the unfavorable thoughts from your mind—all the things that bother or unease you. Let the destructive thinking go along with throwing out all the unwanted weeds and sprouts. You’ll feel lighter as you pull more.
- Check how you feel
Make sure you’re giving yourself some alone time. What mood are you in? As you breathe in and out and water the plants around you, pay attention to how your body moves as you go from head to toe. Instead of concentrating too much on any pains or discomfort, pay attention to how your body feels as it touches the recently cut grass. Refocus on your body if you find yourself becoming distracted and try again.
What is the Difference Between Mindful Gardening and Regular Gardening?
Mindful Gardening:
- Can reduce stress and anxiety
- Increases focus and concentration
- Focuses on the senses and the present moment
- Involves being present and aware in the moment
- Promotes a sense of peace and calm
- Connects with nature and cultivates gratitude and appreciation
Regular Gardening:
- May not offer the same mental health benefits as mindful gardening
- Can still be a rewarding and enjoyable activity
- May involve multitasking or going through the motions without full awareness
Summary
This article spoke about how to make a good home garden, home gardening ideas, home gardening methods, how to be a mindful gardener, and how it will help you practice mindfulness. Gardening and mindfulness are interconnected. Having a home garden can help you live a happy and mindful life with your family.
