Garden lovers welcome to April dedicated to the celebration National Garden Month. Whether you are an experienced gardener or a starter, planting and caring for a garden has numerous benefits—physical, environmental, and mental health benefits.
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Here’s a list of 10 plants that can change your backyard. Get ready to immerse yourself in gardening and appreciate the beauty of nature.
Celebrating National Garden Month
The history of National Garden Month dates back to the 1980s. National Garden Bureau, a non-profit organization launched it to inspire participation in this rewarding hobby. It’s a time for
- public events
- garden center seminars
- educational activities at community gardens, schools, and local parks.
Formerly National Garden Week, US President Reagan signed a proclamation making it official in 1987. It was later celebrated in the entire month of April in 2002. The bureau aimed to encourage people of all races, ages, and backgrounds to embrace the art of gardening.
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10 Plants to Plant in National Garden Month
Marigolds
April is prime time for these sunny bloomers! Their bright orange, yellow, and red flowers instantly liven up any drab outdoor space during National Garden Month. But marigolds do more than just look pretty – they attract bees and other pollinators right to your backyard garden.
Tomatoes
Vegetable gardening just isn’t complete without some tomato plants. From juicy cherry bombs to big beefy slicers, there’s nothing like popping a fresh-picked tomato straight into your mouth in the entire month of April when they’re at peak season. Way better taste and nutritional benefits than anything from the grocery store!
Basil
Foodies and would-be chefs out there need to get basil in your life ASAP this spring. This aromatic herb’s amazing fragrance makes it perfect for homemade pesto, caprese salads, and any Italian dish. Oh, and don’t forget to add some to your next craft cocktail too!
Lavender
Lavender brings a double dose of pretty with its purple flower spikes and soothing floral fragrance. These hard workers also lure in fluttering butterflies to add even more cheer and serve as pollinators. Grow some lavender and instantly de-stress with its therapy just by taking a whiff.
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Sunflowers
With their big smiling faces and bright yellow petals, sunflowers are like happiness in plant form! Let them tower overhead as the sunny centerpiece of your garden. As a bonus, their seed heads make nutritious treats for birds and low-impact exercise for you when harvesting.
Zinnias
For zero-fuss, blooming colors, you gotta go with zinnias this National Garden Month. These fast-growers erupt with vibrant pink, orange, yellow, and red flowers in a diversity of hues that have all the butterflies and pollinators doing happy little dances.
Cucumbers
There’s nothing more refreshing than enjoying a cool, crisp cucumber straight from the garden on a hot summer day. Even small space gardeners can get in on the action by growing them vertically in separate containers. Slice ’em up for salads and snacks galore!
Peppers
Whether you want mild bell peppers or tongue-tingling habaneros, growing pepper plants puts you in charge of the heat and flavors! Watch as they transform from green humdrum veggies to fiery red and yellow beauties ready to spice up any dish.
Mint
This fast-growing, invigorating herb has to be contained in pots or borders or it’ll spread like crazy and take over your whole yard. But kept in check, it gives off the most amazing aroma you’ll want wafting through your outdoor oasis.
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Rosemary
Looking for tough-as-nails herb that even newbie gardeners can’t kill? Try Rosemary. Its woody evergreen stems and light blue flowers give gardens year-round interest. Plus you can snip off the needle-like leaves to add a punch of piney flavor to roasts, breads, and so much more!
Benefits of Gardening
Participating in the celebration allows you to deepen your connection with nature, learn new skills, and experience the positives of a backyard garden. This can be done in a small container or sprawling backyard oasis.
Promotes Exercise
Nurturing plants provides a sense of accomplishment, reduces stress, and promotes physical activity in a low-impact form of exercise and endurance. Farmers burn a number of calories while raking and hoeing. The average gardener burns about 400 calories per hour equivalent to 4 miles at a fairly brisk pace.
Protects the Environment
Planting prevents and reduces soil erosion as it slows rainfall runoff. Gardening also helps absorb carbon dioxide by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Gardening serves as a food source for humans and several wildlife types.
Strengthens Relationships
Gardening is regarded as a universal language that strengthens family relationships. It’s an excellent way for generations of family members to engage with each other. Again, it strengthens family bonds while teaching youngsters the innumerable benefits of it.
Reduces Crime
A recent study shows that urban forests result in lower levels of crime and domestic violence. This shows that gardening is a wonderful way to prevent and fight crimes in cities. We should plant a lot of trees to protect our surroundings.
How to Get Started
First things first – consult the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a plant hardiness zone map so you’ll know exactly when to sow seeds and put sprouts in the ground for your area. Then prep your planting areas by digging in and raking to mix nutrient-rich compost or bagged garden soil. Pay attention to the spacing requirements on those little plant tags too. Use trash cans to collect plant waste to start composting.
Once your garden baby is in a raised bed or open plot, be sure to give them enough water to get established without going overboard and drowning them.
Nurture Your Garden
Keep those plants happy throughout the growing season by ensuring they get the right amount of sun for their needs. Go natural and embrace Mother Nature’s pest patrol by introducing good bugs like ladybugs that’ll munch on the bad guys.
When your plants are taking off, give them a little boost with some compost (you can use a separate container), manure, or liquid fertilizer every few weeks. Just be sure to keep up with weeding, pruning, and deadheading. This helps to encourage bigger harvests with more nutritious produce while reducing your carbon footprint. It also ensures you fresh produce all year round.
Get Social with Your Garden
See if any clubs or swaps are hosting plant trading events that you can join. And share your gardening adventures and fresh hauls on Instagram, Facebook, or wherever you like. Join relevant different groups on social media that share the same goal as you to learn from each other.
So clear out a patch of yard, grab your gardening gloves, and get ready to dig in this National Garden Month! Whether you have a big backyard or just a few containers, gardening is guaranteed to work its mood-boosting, healing power on you. Best wishes for your gardening journey! Let the enjoyment and motivation blossom!
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