Having a garden can be a very joyful and rewarding experience.

Fortunately, Niles Community Gardens makes having a garden easy for Niles residents. With four public gardens in Niles available to anyone, there is no excuse not to exercise your green thumb and begin enjoying the many benefits of healthy living.

Studies have shown that people who grow their own produce eat more fruits and vegetables.

It also gives you control over what kinds of fertilizers and pesticides — if any — come into contact with what you are growing.

There is also something fulfilling about watching the seed you planted pop out of the ground and eventually grow into a beautiful plant filled with ripe, juicy tomatoes.

Nothing tastes quite as good as something you grow yourself!

Having a garden also requires you to get outside and in the vitamin D rich sunshine. You also get exercise by pulling weeds, digging holes and doing all sorts of other activities required of gardening.

If you are part of Niles Community Gardens, you also get some help. Members share the workload and the harvest at the end of the growing season.

It is an opportunity to make friends and become more involved in the community.

The organization also makes a difference by donating extra produce to area food pantries and churches.

With so many things to love about Niles Community Gardens, we encourage anyone interested to give it a try.

NCG will host a sign-up meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10 at the Niles District Library.

There is also plenty of information available on their website at nilescommunitygardens.org if you can’t make the meeting.

It is never too late to start making healthy life choices. Planting a garden is a fun and easy way to get started.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.