These days, traveling and vacationing has become taboo. With Covid-19 on a rampage, it’s much safer to stay in the confines of your own home. Why take a chance on your life when you can find ways to enjoy yourself safely?
One of the ways you can do this is by gardening. It’s okay if you don’t have a green thumb – now is your chance to learn all about plants and creating a beautifully landscaped yard. Not only will you stay safe and healthy, but you’ll gain a valuable skill you can use for a lifetime and have fun while doing it.
Four Benefits of Gardening Instead of Traveling Right Now
One of the biggest benefits of gardening over traveling right now is staying healthy and staying alive. I won’t pretend that gardening over going to Paris, for example, is any comparison. However, during these times, traveling is just dangerous. People have been finding ways to enjoy life until they can get back out into the world, and most are finding that they could have been entertained at home all along.
Besides not contracting a potentially deadly virus, there are a few other benefits to consider. Please keep reading to find out about them.
Let’s face it. Traveling costs a lot of money. Even if you can afford it, no one hates saving money. Gardening is an inexpensive hobby compared to traveling. You could take $100 bucks to your local home improvement store and get everything you need to get started. I guarantee you’ll never get to Paris at $100.
Increase Your Home Value
Did you know that a beautifully landscaped yard can increase the value of your home? This isn’t an opinion – studies have shown that, depending on your location and how well your yard is landscaped, the value of your home could be increased anywhere between 4% and 13%. One study suggests that the better you are at landscaping, the higher the value boost. Fast growing trees are a number one choice for homeowners. That is great motivation to get out and practice your gardening skills.
Your Home Will Get More TLC
Pre-covid, people were busy. Many people didn’t have the time to pay attention to minor details regarding their homes. Some didn’t notice issues until they become significant issues.
Gardening teaches you to pay attention to the small details. You’ll find that as you’re working on your garden, you may begin to notice things about your home that you never paid attention to before. You’ll likely be motivated to fix these small things, giving your house the care that it’s been needing for so long. You can thank gardening for helping you to notice the little things in life.
You Can Make it a Family Affair
Gardening is a great family activity. Everyone can participate – kids, seniors, even dogs if you have them! Fido can help pull around those heavy bags of fertilizer and fetch things when you need them. At the very least, Fido can keep everyone in a great mood.
Many kids already like playing in the dirt, and they’ll also love seeing something they planted to grow over time. Perennials are a type of flower that reblooms every year. What a great way for kids to learn. It’s safe to say that gardening is an excellent way for families to bond during these scary times.
The Best Plants for New Gardens (or New Gardeners)
If you are beginning your garden or new to gardening, you’ll want to start with plants that are easy to work with and easy to bloom. There are many choices, so you need to make logical decisions based on where you live.
Before you get started, you should decide what you want to grow. Are you interested in a flower garden? A vegetable garden? Shrubbery? Figuring out your hardiness zone can help you narrow down your choices.
Once you’ve figured out what you want to grow and you’ve picked a nice, sunny spot for your garden, you can get more specific. If you’re going to choose flowers, I’d recommend perennials. These won’t need to be planted year after year. Plant them once, take care of them, and they’ll keep coming back to visit. If you’re interested in a vegetable garden, the easiest ones to start with are salad veggies. Lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers are the most comfortable and most versatile veggies to work with.
In Conclusion…
Whether you’re an avid gardener or someone who’s never grown anything more than hair, starting a garden at home is a great way to pass the time during the pandemic. Traveling will be a safe option sometime in the future, but catching the virus might take that option away from you permanently.
Don’t take the risk! Enjoy all the benefits that a home garden can offer you and your loved ones. After all, you don’t have anything to lose by trying, and you may be surprised at how much gardening will grow on you (pun was intended)!