Aesthetics

Before and after installing a garden on the property.

• Curb appeal. Creating an attractive and inviting space around the exterior of your house can be self-satisfying as well as boost the value of your home. Some ways to use gardening to increase curb appeal are to line walkways with plants and to convert lawn areas to planting beds.
• Connect with the wider world.  Getting your hands in the dirt while gardening creates a heightened connection to nature, the planet and can help reduce your carbon footprint. Garden spaces can emphasize our coexistence with wildlife through bird or pollinator-friendly design.

Health

Fresh ingredients for the next meal.

• Know what you eat.  There is much to be said for the convenience the grocery where a vast variety of foodstuffs fills every aisle.  But if you are seeking ways to control how you eat beyond the dinner plate, growing your own food can meet that need.  The food you grow yourself is the freshest food you can eat. There is often more variety and research shows people who grow food tend to eat more healthy.
• Dirt is good for you.  Ok, so this may be a fringe subject but it is worth consideration. Over the last decade or two, thinking has changed with regards to our over-sanitized world. The hygiene hypothesis has been an area of discussion and research for awhile.  This article from Scientific American gives one perspective.

Wellness

Gardens can provide a space for quiet study.

• Therapy.  The beauty of nature can have a healing effect especially when combined with the physical stress release.  Studies have indicated there is a reduction in stress, anger, depression and even pain levels when gardening is used for therapy.
• Personal Time.  Reading, relaxing or meditating while breathing fresh air in your own space among the greenery is a great way to decompress at the end of the day.   Elements of a private garden space should have some type of seating, but from there, anything goes.

Frugality

Savings can be found when growing it yourself.

• Fresh food can cost more.  There is an expense related to providing a fresh food supply to grocery stores.  It is possible to save money by growing your own food, and possibly preserving and storing it for use throughout the winter months.

Fitness

Working in the garden qualifies as moderate exercise.

• Get a workout!  Approximately 300-400 calories per hour can be burned in one hour of gardening.  Digging, planting and weeding can all get the blood flowing and the muscles working.  Additional benefits are improvements in hand dexterity and being out in the sunshine helps the body produce vitamin D.  Of course, gardening can be adaptable for individuals with disabilities.
• Maintain a healthy brain.  It is well-known our bodies and minds undergo changes as we age.  Studies show there is a link between the physical act of gardening and lowering the risk of developing dementia.  There is also evidence that the use of therapy gardens in assisted-living facilities encouraged autonomy and sensory stimulation.

Education

Family time in the garden.

• Teach your Children.  There is a increasing amount of evidence that garden-based education improves performance and may lead to higher test scores especially in math and science.  Better attitude toward learning, life skills, independence and sustainability while encouraging eating more vegetables.  Family or communal time are also increased.