Gardening Helps Our Physical Environment

Planting gardens help create a breathable atmosphere for us by purifying the air. “Through the process of photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen. They take toxic air in and purify it into clean breathable air.” [GH]

“Gardens are like beautiful air filtration systems that cleanse the sir surrounding our homes. Toxic air affects both our physical and mental well-being. Living in an environment with cleaner air gives a lot of great benefits to our health.” [GH]

“Many small gardens in a community can make a huge difference. In fact, research in the UK found that personal gardens compose over 25% of the trees in non-forest environments. This is your chance to do your part!” [PP]

“Nearly a third (29 percent) of the land in urban areas comprised domestic gardens, which is six times the area of parks, and 40 times the area of allotments.”[GP] [UK towns and cities studied: Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Reading]

Green Environment Boosts Our Mental Health

“Gardening is a great way for older adults to meet their recommended daily 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity. Researchers at Kansas State University discovered that among the health benefits of gardening is keeping older hands strong and nimble while improving self-esteem.” [Heft]

“Just five minutes of exercise in a green nature setting can boost our mood and self-esteem.” ~Todd Heft

“It’s probably no surprise that gardening, and all the physical activity that goes along with it, leads to weight loss and better overall physical health. But did you know that gardening can improve your bones as well? Gardening strengthens your bones in a way similar to weight training.” [Heft]

Gardens Provide a Good Environment for Animals

Natural habitats are important for animals to seek shelter. When we lived in the country, we would often see whitetail deer passing through the trees at sunrise and sunset on their way to a water source. In the spring, the deer would shelter their new baby doe in the corner of our property (for several weeks). One year, a deer had twins. Their cute, white-spotted coats were a joy for us to see!

“In the 1970’s, landscape architects began incorporating large swaths of meadow-like grasses and native perennials in the landscape, creating a prairie style garden. Prairie or meadow gardening supports habitats for birds, butterflies and other wildlife” in the environment. [SL]

Urban gardens can “incorporate native plants and water features, providing food and shelter for pollinators and wildlife, in addition to creating beauty” in their landscape. [SL]

“Growing a garden can create habitats for smaller life forms like birds, insects and other species that thrive and reproduce in the ecosystem. Each creature plays an important role in helping the environment.” [PP]

Gardens Assist Pollinators in Our Environment

“Home gardens are by far the biggest source of food for pollinating insects, including bees, in cities and town, according to new research. The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in the Journal of Ecology, measured how much nectar is produced in urban areas and discovered residential gardens accounted for the vast majority – 85 per cent.” [GP]

“The quantity and diversity of nectar has been measure in the countryside, but this wasn’t the case in urban areas. We expected private gardens in towns and cities to be a plentiful source of nectar, but we didn’t anticipate the scale of production” would be so vast. [GP]

“Our findings highlight the pivotal role home gardens play in supporting pollinators and promoting biodiversity in urban areas across the country.” [GP]

God’s Garden Environments

God began the world with a garden, He spoke of a promise land with an abundant garden and He speaks of a final garden.

The First Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.” ~Genesis 2:8 NASB

The Promise Land Garden

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat bread without shortage, in which you will lack nothing.” Deuteronomy 8:7-8 AMP

The Final Garden

“Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” ~Revelation 22:1-3 AMP

“Gardening is the great context for the Bible. From delight to despair, it’s all there! Within Scripture, the whole human experience is championed in the garden: the place to let sorrows find new life in joys; the place for learning and challenge – where we grow like the plants! The place where God meets His people.” ~Shelley S. Cramm

Speaking of gardening environments, this post inspires me to take out paper and pencil and design a beautiful little landscape outside my bedroom window. And I’ll be sure and add a few flowers for our pollinators, the bees. What kind of garden are you planning for this spring?

Recommendation:

Nourish for Growth Nourish for Growth – Strength with Dignity

Sheep Can Be Interesting Animals Sheep Can Be Interesting Animals – Strength with Dignity

References:

4 Reasons Why Gardening is Good for the Environment. Published by Patio Productions [PP]. Written by Cheryl Khan on July 22, 2013. Updated by Admin on December 11, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from 4 Reasons Why Gardening is Good For the Environment (patioproductions.com)

Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Gardening for the Environment. Published by the Smithsonian Libraries [SL]. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from Gardening for the Environment (si.edu)

Heft, Todd. Organic Gardening’s Health, Mental, Financial, Environmental Benefits. Published by Big Blog of Gardening on October 24, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from Organic Gardening’s Health, Mental, Financial, Environmental Benefits ⋆ Big Blog Of Gardening

How Does Gardening Help the Environment? [GH] Published by A Nest with a Yard on August 27, 2020. Guest Post by Nadya Jones. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from How does gardening help the environment? – A Nest With A Yard

How Your Home Garden Helps the Bees. Published by Green Prophet [GP] on February 22, 2021. Written by Karin Kloosterman. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from How your home garden helps the bees – Green Prophet

New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB 1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Top 10 Gardening Verses of the Bible. Published by Garden in Delight on July 9, 2020. Written by Shelley S. Cramm. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from Top 10 Gardening Verses of the Bible – Garden In Delight

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