The thought of gardening, or even maintaining a simple house plant, is enough to send many people into panic mode. The idea can bring up repressed memories of dead cacti and neglected flowers received as gifts. If you have shied away from developing a green thumb in the past, it is the perfect time to revisit the idea of adding greenery into your life.

With many of us housebound for the foreseeable feature, we’ve suddenly found ourselves with more time than we know what to do with. Putting that free time into working with nature can have surprising benefits for both your body and mind.

Research shows that even simply viewing plants can reduce blood pressure and feelings of sadness and anger. Florence Nightingale, the famed nurse, encouraged the creation and use of gardens in hospital settings and even wrote on the need for fresh air and light in people’s everyday lives.

So how do you get started with creating your own mood-elevating paradise?

Consider Your Space

If you have the yard space, a square-foot garden is a great way to get started with gardening with minimum maintenance (and cost) required. Square-foot gardens pack tons of plants into a manageable amount of space (i.e., one square-foot of earth is devoted to each plant type).  These gardens are very basic raised-bed gardens with a square frame.

For people who don’t have the room for garden beds, there are still plenty of ways you can grow plants that won’t be in your way. Consider hanging some window boxes from a balcony or growing fresh herbs from your kitchen windowsill. You can even explore hanging small pots from the ceiling by using macramé holders.

Gather Your Materials

If you are going the square-foot garden route, read up on ways to create nutrient-rich soil so that your plants have all the food they need to grow. Use an easy-to-build raised bed design or buy a premade bed if you prefer.

For windowsill gardens, you can paint small terracotta pots with whatever designs you like. You can find these pots online for as low as a dollar sometimes. If you have kids, painting pots is an excellent way to keep them busy for a few hours while they are stuck inside. Buy a bag or two of potted plant soil mix to fill the pots. These bags are relatively cheap but contain essential nutrients for your plants.

Order seed packets online from an outdoor store like Lowe’s Hardware. When you are ready to start planting the seeds, read the back of the seed packets for information about when to plant the seeds, how deep to put them into the soil, and how much sunlight the plant needs. The packets contain all the information you need for planting.

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor

Within a few weeks or months (depending on what you’ve planted), you can start to enjoy food from your garden. You will save money on produce, be more apt to eat salads, and even be able to impress your friends on your next Zoom call by mentioning you’re having dinner topped with fresh basil from your garden.