#2013alive: Get Your Hands Dirty!

This week for our 12 Months of Wellness, we get to flex our green thumbs and create a green oasis in, or around, our own homes.

Now, I’ll admit—my own green thumb is actually brown, and my own garden currently consists of a single, lonely cayenne pepper plant. It took me a week to get around to planting it, and it had previously waited patiently for its new home from my kitchen windowsill.

But, if the biggest gardening escapade I’ve had in five years is any indication, we really, really don’t have to be a master grower in order to reap the benefits of a little time spent in the garden.

Got dirt?

It most likely comes as a surprise to no one when I say that gardening is good for us, no matter how big the garden may be. The practice of caring for tender green shoots not only improves our eating habits and increases our activity levels, but it also helps us wind down from a stressful day  and improves self-esteem.

No more excuses—get growing!

If spring allergies follow you well into the summer months, plan your garden accordingly. Plant your garden away from windows and doors, garden on calm days when less pollen is released into the air, and keep plants properly pruned.

If you live in a condo, apartment, basement suite, or anywhere else where space is limited, you still have plenty of options.

Share a backyard—Got a friend or family member with spare outdoor space? Ask them to lend some land. If there’s no one close by, then try checking out Sharing Backyards, a community project that connects landowners with potential gardeners.

Create a container garden—Almost anything that can be grown in a garden can be grown in a container, so stick one on your balcony or patio and get gardening today!

Plant in a community garden—Community gardens offer space for city dwellers to grow and, potentially, new friends to grow with. A quick online search should help you find a community garden near you and, if application, how to apply for a plot.

Grow with us!

How are the tomatoes turning out? How have the beans been? Send us a Tweet using the #2013alive hashtag to let us know! You can also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and follow our blog posts to see how we’re doing with our goals.

Worried about falling off the bandwagon? Download our June goal sheet and get a hand with staying on track.