Better Homes & Gardens Gardening for Health shows how digging into the soil and growing your own veggies, berries, herbs, and flowers can feed the body, mind, and soul. Gardening improves personal fitness and nutrition, increases your sense of well-being, and enriches your community. How-to techniques, tools, and products are highlighted throughout the issue to keep gardening fun and approachable. Gardening is also so much more than a solo activity. By taking a class, exchanging plants or tips with friends, participating in a community garden, or joining a local CSA, you can turn gardening into a shared experience. Gardening for Health is all about connecting with plants and nature to feed you and your spirit.
BH&G Gardening for Health
from the editors
dig in • Reap the benefits of gardening by making it a healthy habit with our easy guide to get started. We promise you’ll become more fit, connect with nature, feel more calm and content, and discover the joy of growing your own food.
PLANTING PREP
families who garden
dig in
WHAT GARDENING DOES FOR YOU
SHARE THE BOUNTY
BURNING
garden tools you’ll use • These must-have tools make gardening tasks a snap while keeping you and your plants happy and healthy.
HANDY
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
gardening SIMPLIFIED • To create a low-fuss garden, apply these techniques that minimize the to-dos while maximizing the joy you’ll get out of grabbing a trowel or shovel to start planting.
raised up right • The Lawrence family motto is: Get outside, get moving, get gardening. The trick is to maximize the fun and minimize the work with help from raised beds, the right tools, and a can-do spirit.
GROW FOOD
NOURISHING POTS • Keep oh-so-good-for-you herbs and veggies at the ready by planting them in containers.
TEST GARDEN KNOW-HOW • Sandra Gerdes, the Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® manager, shares her best tips for nurturing edibles in containers throughout the growing season.
good scents • Aah, herbs. They are easy to grow indoors and out, lend fragrant notes wherever they’re planted, add zest to an array of dishes, and can enhance health. Grow their goodness to spice up your day-to-day routine.
POWER FRUIT • These berries are delicious, easy to grow in containers, and super good for you.
growing the dream • A Texas couple swaps out their scrap of lawn for a humming city plot complete with beehive, chickens, citrus trees, herbs, and an avalanche of tomatoes.
WELL-BEING
discovering zen • Beauty-line product makers Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz harness knowledge, joy, and enticing scents from their own New York garden.
nature’s Rx • Discover why nature is the best prescription for your well-being by inviting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to come play in your yard with creature-alluring projects and products.
plant companions • Houseplants are not just plants—they’re something to nurture that brings nature inside. The owners of STUMP teach others how to keep leafy friends healthy for long-lasting mutual happiness.
pamper yourself • Find bliss with easy-to-make lavender spa regimens that give off heavenly scents promoting relaxation and stress relief.
COMMUNITY
in it together • Shared gardens are not just a place to find a plot to grow food or flowers. Across the country, community gardens share the gardening experience, inspiring healing, help, and hope. Here are four to inspire you.
making arrangements • Gardening can be so much more than a solo activity. PepperHarrow Farm focuses on making their classes a shared experience where everyone has fun learning something new while being surrounded by fields of fresh...
