{"id":29809,"date":"2025-03-28T12:28:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=29809"},"modified":"2025-03-28T13:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T19:41:56","slug":"gardening-just-for-the-health-of-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/gardening-just-for-the-health-of-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardening \u2013 just for the health of it"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Shot
There are studies that show gardening contributes to longevity. And there\u2019s even a thing called horticultural therapy. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If the farmer\u2019s market excites you, maybe take things a step further and consider doing a little gardening of your own. It\u2019s a fun (most of the time), healthful activity with many benefits besides eating the food you grow.<\/p>\n

So said Katie Dunker<\/a>, statewide Colorado master gardener coordinator for Colorado State University. Dunker, who lives in Castle Rock, supports the master gardener programs statewide and works with staff who, in turn, work with volunteers all over the state.<\/p>\n

She may view gardening from a statewide perspective but noted that all the extension offices are local.<\/p>\n

She said her background is not in horticulture. Actually, it\u2019s in higher education administration and public health. But she\u2019s a gardener herself. When she moved to Colorado five years ago and ran a faculty-staff wellness program at the University of Denver, gardening was one of the things she incorporated into the program. When she heard about the job she\u2019s in now, she thought it \u201cwas a perfect fit. I saw the connection right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are health benefits of gardening<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gardening is an activity that has few drawbacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou grow your own food, get to be outside, get some exercise. It\u2019s a perfect intersection between being a doable physical activity, spending time outdoors, potentially beneficial nutritional aspects, and possibly a social experience if you do it with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

She admitted, \u201cIt can be frustrating in Colorado, with our erratic weather, hailstorms and such, but it can be amazing to watch a garden recover from a weather event. Our climate and microclimates can be daunting, but you can overcome them. Gardening can be a very successful activity if you really pour yourself into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said gardening rarely results in monetary gain, but it\u2019s satisfying and rewarding in itself.<\/p>\n

She added that you can do it at any age or ability level.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you age, you can still do it \u2013 it may look different, with raised beds, or containers or just a smaller garden, but it\u2019s still possible. And kids find it fascinating, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how old you are, who isn\u2019t impressed when a seed sprouts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"kids
Gardening is an activity you can do at any age or ability level. Source: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Physically, the benefits come from being active \u2013 bending, digging, weeding, just moving, varying by the type of gardening you are doing and how much garden you have, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can take a lot of effort to cultivate, to prepare the soil, or you can do something much easier. Plant perennials or create a xeriscape, for example. \u00a0And there\u2019s just a benefit of working with your hands. It feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, you can hurt yourself gardening. Be physically prepared for the work, she advised, and make it easier on your body by using the proper tools. Wear garden gloves and always, always wear a hat and sunscreen, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy guess is that the biggest injury is sunburn,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Dunker hasn\u2019t studied the mental health benefits but said, \u201cThere is a popularized term right now, \u2018forest bathing,\u2019 this concept that green things heal us \u2013 that just being around plants means improved air quality, that our brains function better.\u201d<\/p>\n

For herself, she said, \u201cGardening can create a sense of mindfulness and a peace that is difficult to find in our busy, fast-paced lives. Just strolling through the garden to see what\u2019s happening there can be relaxing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted that \u201cthere are studies that show it contributes to longevity. And there\u2019s even a thing called horticultural therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gardening can be a year-round pursuit<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a high season \u2013 the growing season \u2013 when you\u2019re outside and things are growing, but there\u2019s a lot that can be done indoors as well,\u201d she said.

Learn more on how you should be preparing your garden now?<\/a> <\/div>\n

Indoor gardening can include houseplants, microgreens, kitchen gardens, herbs and even some flowers, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who doesn\u2019t love a good seed catalog in January? There\u2019s something beautiful about the anticipation of the growing season. And you can harvest well into the fall, depending on what you grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are even gadgets and tools to help extend the growing season, though purists prefer to wait until Memorial Day to plant anything, Dunker said. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of work to protect those plants early and late. And the soil\u2019s just not warm enough for them to really grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of Colorado gardening success depends on where you live \u2013 partly on your elevation. And microclimates are a factor. \u00a0Are you on the plains or in the mountains, for example? On the north or south side of a hill? In a valley? \u00a0Growers can pick varieties that mature quicker in shorter growing seasons.<\/p>\n

She suggested gardeners contact their local extension office for suggestions, and to find out when the local first and last average frost dates are anticipated.<\/p>\n

One of her co-workers likes to say, \u201cIn Colorado, it\u2019s survival of the latest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Folks who live in Steamboat Springs can expect a much shorter growing season than, say, Grand Junction, which has one of the longest growing seasons in the state.<\/p>\n

Gardening can be done anywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Live in an apartment? Condo, townhouse? Or just don\u2019t have room for a garden at your home?<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity gardens are a fantastic option,\u201d she said. \u201cIt combines the social connectivity to your community with gardening. It has all the great benefits of gardening, but you do need to make a commitment. You have to keep your garden weed-free because it affects other gardeners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community garden is not a new concept \u2013 it\u2019s done all over the world. If you do it as a couple or a family, it can be a really beautiful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"tomatoes
Source: iStock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to learn more about gardening?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What if you\u2019ve never gardened?\u00a0 Master gardeners will be offering classes this spring, she said. Check with your local extension office. CSU also offers gardening classes online. Go to www.Coloradomastergardener.org or check out CSU online<\/a>. The cost is usually $40 to $60 per class.<\/p>\n

Also, check local gardening centers, rec centers, and whoever offers classes, she advised.<\/p>\n

Dunker\u2019s final advice?<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep it simple. If you grow food, grow something you would really eat.\u00a0 Consider what is realistic in your location. Try new things out. That\u2019s part of the fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

And if gardening is not for you, she said, \u201cThere\u2019s always the farmer\u2019s market!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the farmer\u2019s market excites you, maybe take things a step further and consider doing a little gardening of your own. It\u2019s a fun (most of the time), healthful activity with many benefits besides eating the food you grow. So said Katie Dunker, statewide Colorado master gardener coordinator for Colorado State University. Dunker, who lives […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":17227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[9187,4792],"class_list":["post-29809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-colorado","tag-readysetco","tag-to-do-in-colorado"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGardening \u2013 just for the health of it - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Keep it simple. 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