Whether your goal is squash or sunflowers, you’re likely gearing up for this year’s gardening season. Gardening is a great way to distract from the stress of daily life, and according to one recent study, it’s more than just a pleasurable hobby. In fact, it’s a “multicomponent intervention” that combines physical movement and activity with exposure to nature and even social engagement, whether working in a community garden, sharing your crop with joyful friends and neighbors, or participating in a local garden club. This study reported a 55% increase in the general well-being of participants involved in gardening. Moreover, “Older adults saw some of the most profound effects in the research. Gardening helped them maintain physical function, improve memory, and fight loneliness. For people living with dementia, horticultural therapy boosted mood and social interaction.”  In fact, the term “horticultural therapy” has bloomed as a way of describing the therapeutic effects that can arise when a person is fully engaged in all that gardening has to offer. For more on the benefits of horticultural therapy, turn over some dirt and look here.

If you’ve delayed getting started this season (who can tell, for sure, what the weather patterns will permit this spring?), it’s time to get going, whether you’re germinating your seeds inside or going directly into the earth outside. According to the National Gardening Association, more than 80% of US households now engage in some sort of gardening, and perhaps that number will rise this season, given the effects of tariffs and rising food costs we’re all experiencing. By mid-April, your inside seeds should be pushing through their containers, and your outside summer plants, such as squash and cucumbers, should be ready to be put in soil. For more precise information, head to the National Gardening Association website and plug in your zip code to get expert advice on when to plant in your area. Or check out this USDA-detailed gardening zone map.

There are also a host of gardening tips available, especially for those diving in for the first time. For example, according to Almanac.com, your strategy for planting should be simple, focusing on a location with good light, good soil, available water, and plants your family will enjoy eating. Better Homes & Gardens has several additional tips, emphasizing safety when it comes to tools and plants that could harm your pets, along with really knowing your locale- what grows well in your area, how much light will your plants receive (and do they need), and what is the length of your growing season. Their post also has advice on pruning and trimming, planting and transplanting, and selecting among fruits and vegetables. One other safety tip? Don’t forget the hat and sunscreen to avoid harmful rays from the sun.

So get yourself out and into a garden and let the growing season begin. For “In a world that often feels fast, fragmented, and disconnected, gardening roots us — literally and figuratively — in something slower, steadier, and deeply human.”