Why Family Gardens?
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, watching my dad grow food in the desert. I didn’t realize it then, but those quiet mornings and sun-warmed tomatoes planted something in me too. Years later, when I started my own garden with my children, it became so much more than a way to grow food. It became a way to grow connection, calm, and joy.
Beyond the memories, research continues to show that gardening benefits our bodies, minds, and families in measurable ways.
Health Benefits
Gardening supports both physical health and mental well-being — a workout for the body and a rest for the mind.
Improves physical health: Just 30 minutes of light gardening can burn up to 150 calories and improve heart health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).
Reduces stress: A meta-analysis of 22 studies found that gardening significantly lowers stress and boosts life satisfaction (Soga et al., Preventive Medicine Reports, 2017).
Supports mental well-being: Contact with soil microbes such as Mycobacterium vaccae has been linked to increased serotonin and reduced anxiety (Lowry et al., Neuroscience, 2007).
Benefits for Kids
Gardening helps kids grow healthier habits, stronger skills, and lasting confidence.
Healthier eating habits: Kids who garden are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and prefer their taste (Morris & Zidenberg-Cherr, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2002).
Outdoor time and focus: Gardening encourages physical activity and attention restoration, helping balance screen time (American Horticultural Therapy Association, 2020).
Confidence and curiosity: Watching something grow from seed to harvest builds patience, responsibility, and pride (Robinson & Zajicek, HortTechnology, 2005).
Why It Matters
A family garden is more than a weekend project — it’s a shared rhythm. It reconnects us to nature, to one another, and to something slower and steadier than the pace of everyday life.
When families garden together, they cultivate curiosity, resilience, and gratitude — and somewhere between the soil and the sunlight, they rediscover what it means to grow together.