Gardening for wellbeing has become recognised more in recent years and there’s a reason why it’s so important for us all to appreciate. Gardening and working with plants has been used to help both physical and mental health illness since ancient times. To use gardens and plants to improve someone’s life is now known as social and therapeutic horticulture and more recently even some Doctors are now socially prescribing gardening to help with stress, anxiety and depression. We’ve listed some reasons why gardening is so good for you below, along with some things you can do in the garden for your own wellbeing.
Gardening involves physical exercise which is great for improved wellbeing
One of the main reasons gardening is so good for you is because you are exercising more than you realise. Keeping your body moving at all ages is a good way to keep physically active and healthy. This, in turn, contributes to a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and even arthritis. If you are physically unable to do some tasks in the garden such as bending or kneeling, why not install a raised bed that you can reach easily. Or if digging is a problem for you, why not try the No-Dig approach to vegetable growing which involves barely any digging. All tasks can be adapted to suit all needs for your wellbeing.
Find improved wellbeing for your mental health by gardening
Gardening can really focus the mind, give hope for the future, raise self-esteem and even help you to socialise if you get involved in a community or gardening group. Working with plants can give you a great sense of satisfaction, achievement and pride which is something very important if you are feeling down or stressed in any way. The process of sowing seeds, thinning out, potting on and later harvesting shows that patience, attentiveness and care reap rewards - something we all need reminding in such a busy world. While we all busily multitask, gardening requires you to focus on one thing at a time so enjoy sowing seeds and watching them grow into something beautiful.
Connecting with nature contributes to improved wellbeing
Gardening involves touching the soil, understanding the seasons, working with insects, birds and the bees to ensure productivity and a biodiverse garden. All of these elements will give you a greater sense of the natural world and how it works. Having this connection with everything around you helps to clear the mind, take time out, breathe and just be mindful. This kind of relaxation is so important for your wellbeing. Why not take some time each week to just sit in your garden or visit a community garden near you. You might even be tempted to get stuck in!
If you would like to get outside in your garden, why not visit us and find the perfect plant to make you smile.