The Sixth Love Language Might Just Start in the Dirt

You workout, go to work, run home, tend to kids, cook meals (or order takeout), clean the living room, make sure homework is complete, throw in a load of laundry, grocery shop, plan for the next day, and deal with the multitude of seemingly insignificant, but incredibly urgent things that somehow seem to pile up on your plate. Both you and your significant other are doing this daily.

So how in the world are you supposed to nurture your relationship with your partner?

There are five basic love languages: words of affirmation, giving and receiving of gifts, acts of service, physical touch, and quality time. Each person places a different value on each love language. Some communicate their love mostly through physical touch, others through gifts.

In any case, nearly everyone responds to quality time. It’s a meaningful and important way to communicate your love for your partner. Additionally, it’s how you continue to learn about and understand your significant other, as you talk about the insignificant and meaningful parts of life.

But…quality time is hard to come by. We at Gardenuity have found that gardening is actually a highly effective and fun way to schedule in quality time to spend with your significant other (or family members). Here are 3 reasons you’ll want to get dirty:

Novelty is the spice of life…but so is tradition and habit.

Yes, new things are exciting—and building your garden for the first time will be thrilling. But, consistent, everyday time is the time that makes the difference in a relationship. The good news is that plants need attention—whether it’s planting, watering, harvesting, or cooking. If you set aside “growing time” with your partner, you’ll be spending significant amounts of time with them daily.

Garden chatter…or not.

We’re often so busy, we forget to ask the most important people in our life questions. Like, how work is, if they ever solved that one small problem, or whether they like Mediterranean food (although, who doesn’t?). Inevitably, small chatter leads to big discussions—use this growing time to talk about your kids’ futures, the next step in your lives, or what you value most. Either way, you’ll get to know your partner through these daily discussions.

But, if you’re not a chatterbox, that’s okay too. The love language is quality time, not conversation. Time together in pleasant and calm quiet is equally effective for fostering love and care.

Work, achieve, and celebrate. Together.

Gardening, in its very essence, is about going through a nurturing process. You work, you achieve small milestones, and then you reap the rewards. Going through this process with your significant other will help you feel closer to each other than ever before. Each time your plant reaches a milestone, you’ll feel joy at the thing you and your partner have created together.

Then, when you’re ready to harvest, have a fabulous dinner for two (or for the family) and enjoy your fresh eats! Laugh, talk, and enjoy the night. You deserve it.