Spring is here and April has been declared National Garden Month! That means it’s time to get our hands dirty and plant a garden. Even if you don’t have a big, sunny yard, you can still get the benefits of growing your own food. Container gardens are great for small spaces. And some plants grow just fine in the shade.

Eat Smart Move More in the Garden

Eat Smart

Growing some of your own food is a great way to save money and eat more fruits and vegetables.

• For about the same price as one serving of fruits or vegetables, you can buy a packet of seeds and eat fresh produce all season long. You can even use SNAP benefits to buy seeds and plant seedlings (but not garden supplies like potting soil or containers).
• Children who help grow a new fruit or vegetable are more likely to want to eat their harvest, too.
• Produce that’s picked right before it’s cooked and eaten tastes better and has more nutrients than food that has been harvested, stored, and shipped to a grocery store across the country or even the world.

Move More

Did you know that yard work and gardening count towards meeting the recommended 150 minutes (weekly) of moderate intensity physical activity? And if you’re really working hard (think digging, hoeing, and weeding enough to break a sweat), that’s actually vigorous physical activity, which counts double towards your 150 minutes.

Have Fun

Gardening is a popular hobby and is a great stress reliever. Being out in the fresh air, nurturing plants from seed to harvest, and enjoying the fruits of your labor are all perks of gardening.

Have you grown a garden before? What is your favorite aspect of gardening? What’s your favorite plant to grow?