Close-up of three white crocus flowers with yellow-orange stamens blooming outdoors, with a blurred grassy background and a hint of purple flower behind them.

The air wafted, sweet and warm, through the budding branches, over the greening grass, in and about the burgeoning Daffodils and delicate Crocus.  The earth was softening, and the landscape was preparing to burst with color and life.  Nature was beckoning us outdoors into her lovely, therapeutic realm.

Close-up of a blooming purple coneflower (Echinacea) with blurred pink flowers and green foliage in the background, taken in an outdoor garden setting.

Amid the pandemic and current state laws, home has continued to serve as our office and classroom.  Outside the home, social distancing continues, leaving many to feel isolated, anxious, frustrated and disconnected. Now, more than ever, we need to connect with nature, and gardening is the perfect vehicle in which to do so.

Yellow wildflowers bloom in a sunlit meadow with tall green grass and trees in the background. Sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a bright and vibrant outdoor scene.

Get Some Exercise & Vitamin D

Gardening provides both anaerobic and aerobic exercise.  An hour of gardening can burn up to 300 calories, and best of all, it’s free!  Additionally, Vitamin D is primarily acquired through sun light, so soak it up!

A garden filled with blooming white roses surrounded by green leaves, with shrubs in the background.

Decrease Stress Levels

Gardening has been known to boost moods while decreasing stress levels.  It has also been shown to decrease depression.

A close-up of a vibrant purple flower in focus, with a blurred background of yellow and blue wildflowers and green foliage in a meadow.

Boost Your Immune System

Friendly soil bacteria, whether inhaled or ingested, has been found to alleviate allergies and asthma while decreasing anxiety, which also helps foster a healthy immune system.

Clusters of cherry tomatoes in various stages of ripeness, from green to red, grow on leafy branches against a blurred background.

Grow Healthy/Safe Food 

You’ll know exactly what’s in your food when you grow and harvest it yourself!

A close-up of a potted succulent plant with thick, pointed leaves in a gray planter. Sunlight highlights the plant, and more potted plants and greenery are visible in the background.

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Gardening is a wonderful way to express yourself.  Try something new each season.  You are only limited by your imagination!

A metal walkway curves around a tall tree, surrounded by green leaves and pine branches, with a lawn and more trees in the background.

Enhance Emotional/Spiritual Well Being

Gardens can serve as tranquil retreats.  Many find the act of gardening to be therapeutic.  It can also help boost self-esteem and confidence.

Purple petunias and small white flowers grow among long, green ornamental grasses beside a concrete path in a lush garden setting.

Challenge Your Brain

In addition to exercising the body, gardening can help keep your brain nimble.  Learn how to garden through trial and error, keep a journal, pick up a book, and feed your brain.

A sunny garden with tall green grass and clusters of blue, purple, yellow, and white wildflowers in bloom. Some flowers are in shadow, while others are bright under the sunlight.

Gardens are a feast for the senses, and their aesthetic appeal is undeniable.  You needn’t a large space, or a ton of money – just the drive to reconnect with nature, and in doing so, your health and well being will benefit as well.  Reach out to Sweeney’s, and we’ll help get you started!  We proudly serve the communities of Villa Park, Elmhurst, Oakbrook, Oakbrook Terrace, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Wood Dale, Itasca, and more!

Sweeney’s:  A Plant Based Company

Plant of the Week

A lush vine covered in vibrant purple flowers climbs a wooden trellis in a sunlit garden with green grass and trees in the background.

Happy Jack® Purple Clematis

Large, intense velvety plum-purple flowers with yellow stamens bloom mid-Summer to early-Fall.  Prefers sun to partial shade, and moist, well-drained soil.  Grows 6-8′ tall and 3-4′ wide.  Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

“The glory of gardening;  hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.  To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”

-Alfred Austin

Well wishes,

Kim Sweeney