1. The Health Benefits – mental and physical. Being active, getting fresh air. Being able to switch off or if you prefer, contemplation and time to reflect. Taking time for yourself, away from work, garden alone to enjoy some time out or involve the whole family.
2. Relationship Building – turn the television off, unglue your phone from your hand (although there are some good apps for plant identification – what are the best apps for gardeners?
Get the whole family involved in the garden, spend time with your partner and catch up properly, talk about your week over weeds.
3. Rediscover the magic – remember when you used to climb trees, camp out in makeshift dens and pretend to be Robin Hood (just me?) why not bring some of this magic back into your life through your garden. You can create different zones, no matter how much space you have. You could leave one area of your garden to go “wild” by planting wildflowers to attract pollinators, creating a rockery with hardy alpines that will encourage nature (and fairies of course!), build a pathway that leads to this magical are <find out more>
4. A sense of accomplishment – it might sound obvious but having somewhere beautiful to come home to is important – even better if you can say you have created it. At this time of year don’t spend money going out at weekends, invite friends over for a BBQ and show off your garden proudly.
5. A safe haven for nature – there has been a lot of media coverage recently about the dwindling numbers of insects due to the destruction of their natural habitats as well as an over use of pesticides. Planting flowers to attract pollinators, trees & shrubs to create shelter and leaving an area of your garden “wild” will make a difference. Children especially will love this, keep a log of insects and birds that set up home in your garden. You might not think that you alone will have an impact but it’s a good place to start <find out more>
6. Pastures New – creating a beautiful garden is never going to be a waste of money. A beautiful garden is a long-term investment and a huge selling point when it comes to marketing your house. So when you are ready for your next project don’t dismay, someone is going to love that garden just as much as you did.
