Bright blue sky with scattered white clouds and the sun shining at the top right. A few birds are visible flying in the distance near the upper right edge.

The sweeping sky reflected in a small Spring puddle collected in a hole in the asphalt.  For a moment, it held the heavens, and the ordinary became extraordinary.  Enchanting nature was again beckoning us outdoors into her captivating and 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.

Spending time in green spaces has been proven to be beneficial to our overall health and well-being, but did you know gardening has its own benefits?  Let’s take a look!

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.

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!

Close-up of blooming purple lavender flowers with green stems, set against a blurred background of greenery and a wooden chair.

Decreases 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.

Boosts 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.

Provides Healthy/Whole Foods 

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

A dense field of small blue flowers blooms on a forest floor covered in dried leaves and branches, with tall trees and a house visible in the blurred background.

Provides a Creative Outlet

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

A lush garden with blooming pink and yellow flowers, green shrubs, and a concrete birdbath in the foreground. Trees and houses can be seen in the background under a cloudy sky.

Enhances 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.

A bumblebee collects nectar from a light purple flower with delicate petals, surrounded by greenery and out-of-focus pink flowers in the background.

Challenges 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.

Close-up of a single purple flower in sunlight, with a blurred green background of grass and stems.

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 dense, round shrub with bright yellow-green leaves growing in a mulched garden bed, with grass visible in the background.

Sunjoy® Citrus Barberry

Neat, uniformly rounded shrub with bright citrus-colored yellow foliage makes an excellent, low maintenance hedge or specimen plant.  Prefers full sun, and moist, well-drained soil.  Grows 24-36″ tall and 24-36″ wide.  Deer resistant.

“In the garden I tend to drop my thoughts here and there. To the flowers I whisper the secrets I keep and the hopes I breathe. I know they are there to eavesdrop for the angels.”

~Dodinsky

Well wishes,

Kim Sweeney