By the Numbers
Growing a garden isn’t all weed pulling and sweat. It’s a boon for your health—not to mention your dinner table. In fact, gardeners consume the recommended amount of fruits and veggies nearly twice as often as their non-planting peers.
Here are six more reasons why you should toil in the soil.
79% | The percentage of gardeners who have attended college. |
Whether you graduated this year or forty years ago, your brain still needs a workout. Gardening has been proven to reduce depression symptoms, and it has even been linked to a reduced risk of dementia. The physical activity along with the stress-reducing sights and smells of a garden combine to keep your thinker in tip-top shape.
Source: CNN/National Gardening Association
35 | The amount of calories in a medium-sized tomato. |
It’s not just your waistline that benefits from these red beauties. Tomatoes are also packed with health-boosting nutrients, including high-powered beta-carotene, which helps fight cancer, high blood pressure, headaches, and depression. To maximize your tomato plant’s output, prune flowers and withered leaves regularly.
Source: The Ohio State University/WebMD
10.6 lbs | The average amount of carrots consumed per person per year. |
Not just for snowmen, these orange wonders pack a punch. A single large carrot contains 240 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A—a nutrient that promotes healthy eyes, skin, and teeth. A low-maintenance plant with a sweet taste, carrots are a go-to choice for your veggie patch.
Source: Washington State Department of Agriculture
600 sq. ft. | The average size of a vegetable garden. |
Whatever your plot’s size, working in the dirt is good low-impact exercise. Gardeners burn 750 to 1,000 calories a week while tending their crops. If you’re low on space for a garden, try potting tomatoes, peas, beets, or peppers.
Source: National Gardening Association/WebMD
1621 | The year potatoes were first introduced to North America. |
Filled with more potassium than bananas, spuds are an American staple for good reason. Expand your potato profile this year by planting the purple variety. These small, colorful veggies are bursting with antioxidants and have been shown to reduce blood pressure by 3 to 4 percent in just a month’s time.
Source: United States Potato Board/WebMD
5 | The average number of hours American gardeners spend in the soil per week. |
Quality time with your produce is the perfect remedy for mental burnout. Recent studies have shown that spending an hour amid your veggies can reduce stress levels more effectively than curling up with a favorite book. Next time your blood starts to boil, skip the breathing exercises and grab a trowel.
Source: CNN/National Gardening Association
