How home gardens support health and wellbeing

For many New Zealanders, gardening is a rewarding way to spend time outdoors. From vegetable patches and flower beds to herbs on a windowsill, even small home gardens can make a meaningful difference to health and wellbeing.

The 2024/25 Active NZ Survey found that 38% of adults had gardened in the last 12 months – the second most popular activity behind walking.

While often enjoyed as a relaxing hobby, home fruit and vegetable gardens can play an important role in supporting physical health, mental wellbeing and community connection.

Gardens can help us eat well

Most New Zealanders do not eat enough vegetables. Ministry of Health data showed that only 7% of adults and 6% of tamariki aged 2-14 years met vegetable intake guidelines in 2025. This is one area where home, school, or community gardens can help.

While the evidence does not prove that gardening alone increases vegetable intake for every household, research suggests gardening can create supportive conditions for healthier eating. They can make fruit and vegetables more visible, familiar, and rewarding. When you grow lettuce, herbs, tomatoes or beans yourself, you may be more likely to notice them, use them and build meals around them.

For tamariki, gardening can increase their exposure to vegetables, help build food knowledge and skills, and offer a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Tamariki can:

• choose seeds or seedlings

• water plants

• pick herbs for dinner

• count tomatoes or peas

• wash vegetables

• help make soup, fritters or pasta sauce

• taste new vegetables

School garden research also shows that hands-on gardening programs can improve tamariki nutrition knowledge, attitudes towards vegetables, and willingness to try new foods.

Touching, smelling, picking and helping prepare vegetables are all steps towards confidence and healthy eating habits.

Can home gardens reduce food costs?

They can, but it depends on what you grow, how you grow it, and how much you spend setting the garden up. 

The best savings are likely to come from growing foods you use often, or ones that might be expensive to buy fresh. For instance, producing crops before or after their peak period (early and late season crops), when they are at their most expensive to purchase from supermarkets may provide additional savings.   

Gardening adds movement to the day

New Zealand healthy eating and active living guidance encourages adults to be active regularly and break up long periods of sitting. Gardening can help people move more. Planting, watering, weeding, digging and carrying pots can all break up sitting time.

How to get started

Everyone can grow something, even those with limited space.

Try:

• blueberries or potatoes in grow bags

• a garden or raised bed with carrots, corn, silverbeet and beetroot

• beans or peas on a simple trellis

• courgette if you have room - mature courgette sprawls up to 120 cm wide 

• citrus or fruit trees in your garden or a large container

• herbs or microgreens like radish, kale or cabbage in a shallow seedling tray, egg carton or recycled plastic fruit punnet

• strawberries in a hanging basket

• sow tomatoes in your vegie garden or in a large container or pot for your balcony

Choose foods to grow that suit your local climate and environment. New Zealand growing conditions vary from region to region, so check a local planting calendar before you sow or plant. Use compost, mulch and seasonal planting to help your garden thrive. Planting Season has practical advice on vegie gardens, raised beds, companion planting, compost, watering and soil health.

You could also look for a local community garden. Community gardens can offer shared space, learning opportunities, and social connections.

Cook what you grow

The real magic happens when your harvest reaches the plate. Use your harvest vegetables in dishes like frittatas, fritters, pasta sauces, dips, stir-fries, soups, salads and wraps.

With a little planning, you can grow potatoes and corn for this potato and fresh corn soup, or for a baby carrot, beetroot and goats’ cheese salad, grow baby carrots, beetroot, lettuce and radishes.

If you have a harvest surplus, freeze herbs in ice cube trays with a little water or olive oil, and add extra grated courgette, carrot or spinach to sauces, muffins, fritters and soups. You could also share and swap produce with neighbours, family, a community garden group or local food sharing group.