We all have crazy and fast-paced lives. Between the 40+ hour work weeks, what seems to be endless commitments to family and friends, and the random errands that consistently pop up it really is hard to stop everything you're doing to literally smell the roses.
On today's blog that is what we are doing. We're going to try our best to convince you to stop the hustle and to get outside and smell the roses. This is especially true during this time of year and you do not want to miss it. Flowers are blooming, butterflies and hummingbirds are everywhere, and the temperature is still amazing.
Our nursery pros are outside every day in the nursery and in their personal gardens. We asked all of them what health benefits they experience throughout the week from their time around all the beautiful trees and plants.
You don't need to escape to the wilderness to improve your health. Little things like a view of nature outside a window of trees or a garden have proven in studies to have more positive influences on your state of mind compared to the urban scene or even that plasma television. Many studies have shown that just looking outside your window at trees can reduce blood pressure and that walking around your landscape can make you perform tasks better with a decrease in anger compared to walks around an urban area. Neighborhoods that have green spaces or community garden areas have shown lower levels of stress, lower health care costs, and improved quality of life.
When you're at the grocery store, you're at the mercy and trust of what was applied to the vegetables and fruit you're about to eat. The bottom line is that you may never know. When it comes to growing you're own food, you know exactly what is in the soil and what you have fertilized them with. PLUS, gardening with the little ones is a great way to expose them to those nasty vegetables they have been pushing off the dinner plate. By allowing them to participate in the process from seed to food they will be able to reap the rewards. And finally, it has been proven that gardeners take in more vitamins and minerals than those who do not garden. With all the extra food in the backyard, you're bound to eat it up!
Have you been dreading that 4-mile run? It's ok, we all dread it too! Instead of a run, consider doing some light maintenance on your yard. Need to mow the lawn? That can burn around 300 calories. Are the weeds looking nasty? Pull them for an hour and you have burned more than 200 calories. Even watering and just walking around your landscape can burn calories. Most of these are equivalent to that run you've been dreading!
Trees and shrubs are amazing. Without them, we may not all be here. While we are stressing throughout the day these amazing plants are constantly improving our air quality. Studies have shown that a tree can remove up to 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. That's about one car's yearly annual output. Another study showed that one acre of trees can remove up to 26,000 tons of unwanted gases and particles in the air. Trees and shrubs can remove dust, smoke, and other pollutants from the air and even inside our homes. There are many indoor houseplants that act as natural filtration systems. No need to spend hundreds of your hard-earned money on a machine. Put a few houseplants in your home and you'll notice the difference right away!
There are even more ways that landscaping can improve your health and we'd love to hear about it below! Sound off the in comments by sharing the benefits it brings to you.
If you have any questions on how to properly landscape your home for these amazing benefits, be sure to visit us and speak to one of our certified nursery pros. You can map us right here! Hope to see you soon.