Over the past year of pandemic-driven confinement, people across the world turned to new hobbies to occupy their newfound free time. For some people, that new hobby was baking homemade sourdough or learning to paint. Many, however, tried filling their time and their yards by testing the greenness of their thumbs. Interest in buying and caring for plants saw a staggering increase last year, and for good reason.

The sale of flowering plants, houseplants, edible plants, and more soared last year and is projected to continue thriving over the next few years. A similar trend can be seen on social media with plant-centric pages and creators gaining massive followings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

This drastic rise in plant sales and interest is far from inexplicable. Apart from just being a way to occupy time and decorate homes, people tended to their plants as a way to bring purpose, fulfillment, and joy to their lives in a year dominated by fear and worry. The scientific evidence supporting this reaches back decades. Studies have proven plants make people feel calmer, reduce stress, improve productivity, and more. From a more anecdotal perspective, the acts of gardening or caring for houseplants can offer a sense of stability and control. With stress and uncertainty abound over the past year, a grounding hobby is just what many needed.

As it turns out, the impulse to garden is actually a great idea — whether or not you’re coping with a crisis — because gardening is one of the healthiest hobbies you can develop. Keep reading to learn about the many benefits of gardening, for you and your community.

1. Exposure to vitamin D

You’re more like a plant than you may realize. Your body is capable of photosynthesis — the process where plants make their own food using sunlight. Your skin uses sunlight to make one of the nutrients you need: vitamin D. Vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. A 2014 Italian study, published on the National Institutes of Health website, found that exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels. So outdoor activities like gardening are a perfect way to get your sunshine while pursuing a fun hobby. (But don’t forget the sunscreen to protect your skin, and sunglasses for your eyes.)

2. Decreased dementia risk

A 2006 study found that gardening could lower risk of dementia by 36 percent. Researchers tracked more than 2,800 people over the age of 60 for 16 years and concluded that physical activity, particularly gardening, could reduce the incidence of dementia in future years.

3. Mood-boosting benefits

A study in the Netherlands, cited by CNN, suggests that gardening fights stress even better than other hobbies. Participants completed a stressful task and were then told to read inside or go outdoors and garden for 30 minutes. The gardening group reported better moods afterward, and their blood tests showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

4. Enjoyable aerobic exercise

Gardening is a great form of aerobic exercise; plus, you might become so engrossed in your work that you don’t even realize you’re breaking a sweat. Pulling weeds, reaching for various plants and tools, and twisting and bending as you plant will work new muscles in your body and help with strength, stamina, and flexibility.

5. Helps combat loneliness

After retirement, many people struggle with fewer socialization opportunities, and community gardens can be a fun way to engage with others while providing benefits to neighborhoods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, community gardens are "collaborative projects on shared open spaces where participants join together in the maintenance and products of the garden, including healthful and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables." The American Community Gardening Association offers a locator tool for finding your nearest community garden. “The association recognizes that community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education.”