The Joy of Harvesting Fresh Herbs and Veggies, Explained

All the growers out there know that, while gardening is ultimately about the journey, the joy of harvesting is incredible. There’s nothing quite like bragging to your dinner guests, “I grew that” or watching your children marvel over a fresh harvest.

But, why is the joy of harvesting so intense? Here’s the Gardenuity psychology behind the joy of the harvest.

1. Growers take on real responsibility.

If you don’t take care of it, it dies. Gardening is really straightforward this way. So, when you take on the task of gardening, you assume responsibility. Gardens are largely dependent on you, so there’s no such thing as an emotionally distant gardener. Good growers are intimately involved in their garden and, barring weather, have to assume accountability for how the garden turns out.

This means assuming responsibility when your garden dies of thirst, but it also means that you get to take credit for delicious harvests and growing success.

2. Gardening is hard work.

As many have said before us, “No pain, no gain.” We’re not sure this saying is foolproof, but it makes a valid point — things worth celebrating, things that feel like a real success, are often hard. And let’s face it. Growing isn’t easy.

Gardens can be complex, needy, and fickle. They require consistent attention and, often, a base of knowledge and research. But all this hard work only leads to greater satisfaction when you reap your rewards.

3. You can have tangible success.

Success of all kinds feels good. But in the era of technology, the success you can hold is a bit of a rarity. We might love promotions or learning new things (both incredible types of successes), but there is a unique satisfaction in holding a freshly harvested pepper or tomato. This may also be why the joy of harvesting is so real for children — it’s a visible and direct input-to-output relationship — and that’s uniquely satisfying.

However and for whatever reason, harvesting brings incredible satisfaction and joy. So start growing now! We promise the rewards are worth the effort.