National Gardening Day - 14th April
National Gardening Day, celebrated annually on April 14, was originally created to encourage more people to take up gardening and enjoy its benefits.
Whether you have a garden, an allotment, a balcony filled with pots, or a few indoor plants, this day aims to inspire everyone - from beginner to expert gardeners - to take the day to connect with nature and begin a season of growing fresh produce and vibrant flowers.
History of Gardening & National Gardening Day
Gardening dates back over 23,000 years, when early humans transitioned from a nomadic lifestyle - moving from place to place without a permanent home - to a more settled existence.
At first, gardens were purely grown for practical reasons - to provide essential herbs, fruits, and vegetables for survival. However, once society developed further and the upper class emerged, the demand for gardens that could be used for aesthetic and leisure purposes increased.
Most historians believe that the first gardens built not purely for practical purposes were established in ancient Egypt around 2000 BC, making gardening one of the oldest hobbies in the world. People wanted to escape the harsh African sun, so they created gardens enclosed by walls and planted different trees, including date palms, fig trees, and olive trees, which provided shade for them to enjoy while producing fruit and oil at the same time. These gardens also featured flowers, including roses, which the Egyptians valued for their beauty and used to make natural blush. Some gardens even had ponds with fish in them! Over the years, gardening has become even more popular with almost two-fifths of people in the UK actively pursuing it as a hobby.
Surprisingly, whilst gardening itself has been around for many centuries, National Gardening Day was only founded in 2018 by Cool Spring Press, a publisher of books on DIY gardening and home improvements. It was introduced to bring more attention to gardening as a hobby and allow expert gardeners to share their knowledge with people who may be thinking about trying it in the future.
Benefits of Gardening
Both landscapers and homeowners find that gardening can be a very therapeutic experience. Engaging with nature, feeling the soil between your fingers, and surrounding yourself with greenery can have a profound impact on mental health. In fact, gardening has been scientifically proven to improve your mood, according to Forbes 'digging stirs up microbes in the soil. Inhaling these microbes can stimulate serotonin production, which can make you feel relaxed and happier.' Many people also find it to be an excellent source of stress relief, allowing them to disconnect from any personal or work-related problems that they may be experiencing and focus on something else instead.
Since gardening involves manual labour, it is an ideal hobby for those looking to stay active, burn a few calories, and improve hand strength at the same time. Physical activity also releases endorphins - hormones that act as natural pain and stress relievers - resulting in greater feelings of happiness overall.
Sunlight also plays a key role in making gardening a healthy hobby - exposure to sunlight increases vitamin D levels (roughly 1 in 5 adults and children in the UK are deficient in this vital vitamin), which supports better immune function and helps to regulate mood.
Another significant benefit of gardening is its positive impact on diet for those who grow edible plants. If you plant your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits, you can enhance both the flavour and nutritional value of your meals. Additionally, growing your own produce reduces your carbon footprint - since the food is grown locally, it minimises the need for additional transportation and packaging.
A fun and easy fruit to grow if you have children is strawberries. Beyond the obvious benefit of a tasty summer’s day treat, it will help foster from an early age an understanding of where food comes from.
Gardening also fosters a sense of community. Many gardeners, from beginners to professionals, join local or online gardening groups where they can share their experiences and make friends with other people who share their passion.
Celebrating National Gardening Day
Here are some of our ideas for celebrating this special day:
Learn More About Eco-Friendly Gardening.
With sustainable gardening becoming more popular, learning more about eco-friendly gardening is the perfect way to celebrate. Start by exploring techniques for crafting homemade compost, making eco-friendly weed killers, and selecting plants that attract beneficial wildlife to establish a thriving, healthy ecosystem in your garden.
It’s easy to understand why this is becoming a popular trend - sustainable gardening methods mean less money spent on expensive weed control / compost mixes and less impact on the environment.
Gardening in a sustainably minded way also means your garden is likely to thrive for longer, meaning less maintenance and lower costs for you in the long run.
Check out our ‘Eco-Friendly Gardening Tips’ and ‘DIY Weed Killers’ to learn more.
Join a Gardening Club.
Not a member of a gardening club yet? This is the perfect chance to join one! Gardening, just like most hobbies, is more enjoyable when people have access to others who share their interests. Joining a club allows you to give and receive support along with making you feel like a part of a bigger community.
Depending on your location and availability, you can find both in-person and online gardening clubs. Alternatively, if you cannot find a club that you like, you can always start one.
Visit a Gardening Centre
Gardening centres are a great place to find inspiration. Not only do they offer many unique plants you may not have considered before, but they also allow you to seek advice from knowledgeable staff if you have any gardening-related queries.
On top of this, you can purchase any tools you might need for the upcoming season.
Have a Seed and Plant Swap
Invite your friends and family over and host a seed and plant swap. This is a great opportunity to learn about different species of plants that you may have not necessarily heard of before and expand your gardening collection without spending any extra money.
To make the event even more exciting, consider hosting a mini gardening competition, such as a seed-planting race, where participants can showcase their skills and have a good time.
Whilst gardening itself has been around for centuries, National Gardening Day was introduced to allow gardeners from all around the world to share their expertise with others and bring more attention to their hobby.
From learning more about eco-gardening to hosting seed and plant swaps for your friends and family, there are many different ways to celebrate this special day.
