April is National Gardening Month. Gardening is a great hobby that also allows you to give back to Mother Earth. If you are skeptical about starting your own garden, here at eight compelling reasons to start.
Gardening relieves stress. Ever feel like the world is too much with us? There are actually horticultural therapists that recommend gardening to help with insomnia, reduce anxiety, and elevate moods.
Gardening is yummy and helps you eat local foods. Rather than picking up produce that have been sitting under harsh lights, produce from a home garden is fresh and tasty. You will know exactly where the produce came from.
Gardening makes it easier to eat organic. In the last few years, there has been a push to “go organic”. When you grow your own garden you know no pesticides or harsh chemicals were used when growing the plants. Plus, it saves you a few dollars when deciding to purchasing organically grown products.
Gardening can help you save money. After buying the initial supplies, gardening can help lower grocery bills. Instead of buying expensive organic produce at the store, you can grow your own.
Gardening helps you prepare for the zombie apocalypse. When the zombie virus spreads, there will be no one to transport produce across the nation. (Just kidding.)Learning how to grow your own food will come in handy in case of food shortages and/or natural disasters.
Gardening teaches children life skills. In a world of instant gratification, gardening helps children understand that time and patience are needed to succeed. Children can also learn the science of growing plants.
Gardening will get you outside and exercising. Gardening is a great excuse to soak up some sun and get your body moving. Studies show that gardening works both upper and lower body muscles.
Gardening is easy. There are thousands of books, websites, blogs, newsletters, etc. that can teach you how to garden.
If you’re still hesitant to giving gardening a try, visit your local library for garden themed activities and events in April, such as:
Lockport, Saturday, April 19th at 10:30 AM- learn how to repot & take care of your contained plants.
Golden Meadow, Tuesday, April 12th, all day- stop by the library today and get a free pack of flower seeds when you check an item out (while supplies last).
Choctaw, Friday, April 15th from 2:00-6:00 PM- Join Choctaw Branch to plant sunflower seeds. Also, stop by the Choctaw branch any time during the month of April to get your free seed packet (while supplies last).
South Lafourche, Tuesday, April 19 at 10:30 AM- “Into the Garden” story time. Children attending will receive a free Louisiana native tree to plant at home, thanks to the Golden Meadow NRCS Plant Materials Center.
Lockport, Tuesday, April 19th at 2:00 PM- Come share & exchange seeds with others to create a more varied garden! Bring some seeds to exchange!
Gheens, Wednesday, April 27 at 4:00 PM- Get creative with your own flower pot candy jar. (Adults only)
Larose, Thursday, April 28 at 11:00 AM- Listen to a few stories at the Daisy Chain story time.
If you have any questions about gardening, head over to our catalog. In addition to the great programs in April, we have several books on the topic of gardening. Happy planting!