Hobbies are great in developing new skills and talents, relieving stress, and simply passing the time. But if you have no idea which hobby to pick, and your house has an empty or unused backyard, why not give these three following hobbies a try?

#1 Gardening

This should come off as a no-brainer when we talk about backyard-based hobbies. Gardening is an excellent way to de-stress, reconnect with nature, and distract yourself from the hustles and bustles of daily life. It also requires a level of physical exertion, so you can work up a sweat and stay fit while tending to your garden. As a bonus, you can even have fresh flowers and plants for your house, and a beautiful backyard garden to boot.

Bonus: Vegetable and Herb Gardening

But, if you wish to havea more practical use for your backyard garden, you can try and get your hands dirty by growing your herbs and produce. Growing your vegetables and herbs in your backyard may require more readings, practice, and labour, but the result is well worth the effort and cost. Having a herb and vegetable garden isn’t only aesthetically pleasing and unique, especially if you live in the suburbs, but you can have your supply of herbs and vegetables (or even fruits) for your consumption. However, you may also need to watch out for pests and critters and have precautionary measures in place to protect your herb-and-vegetable garden from them.

#2 Beekeeping

Beekeeping, also known as apiculture, is a hobby that you can start in your backyard that can yield sweet rewards (pun intended). Beekeeping may be a bit more expensive to start, especially since you’ll have to purchase beekeeping tools, supplies, and gears such as beekeeper suits and beehive boxes, but the rewards and benefits from practising it heavily outweigh the initial costs.

For one, beekeeping is a good way for you to sweat out — the beekeeping suit itself is enough to make you sweat. And of course, you’d have your fresh supply of nutritious honey that you can use in your home or even sell. Beeswax produced by your bees can also be utilised for candles, creams, and lip balm. The bees in your backyard can also help pollinate the plants not only in your backyard but even in the adjacent areas. And lastly, you’ll be able to contribute to honeybee conservation; knowing that you help preserve the honeybee population is arguably the most rewarding part of it all.

#3 Yoga and Meditation

This may not follow the agricultural theme of the previous two hobbies, but it is still quite rewarding nonetheless. Yoga and meditation are known to be excellent stress-busters. They can improve mental and emotional health, with the former providing more physical benefits such as increased flexibility, muscle strength and toning, and even cardiorespiratory health, to name a few. However, you can further improve your yoga and meditation experience by practising it outdoors (i.e. your backyard). Being closer to nature, and breathing in the fresh air makes it easier for you to relax and also prevents you from getting distracted by whatever’s inside your home. Just make sure that you practice this hobby in the shade, perhaps under a DIY backyard meditation corner.

Conclusion

Practising either one of these hobbies in your backyard can be unique in the sense that your backyard eventually transforms into this little slice of heaven where you can breathe fresh air, de-stress, and just be fully immersed in doing the tasks that you end up forgetting whatever’s bothering you. Plus, these hobbies can also help you stay fit, too! As a parting note, regardless of which hobby you choose, just make sure that you protect yourself from the sun by dressing properly, utilising shade, and applying sunscreen as you enjoy your hobby.