Whether you have a large grassy garden, a bijou balcony or are an avid allotmenteer, the health and wellbeing benefits of getting down and dirty with nature are more varied than you’d think, reveals Jenny Wood
The sun’s out, there’s greenery as far as the eye can see, and everyone’s itching to throw open the windows and head outside. It’s the busiest time of year for gardening – getting balconies, patios and outdoor spaces looking perfect, ready for entertaining and relaxing.
But not only is being green-fingered good for our gardens, there’s overwhelming evidence showing that it’s good for us, too – improving mental and physical health, helping us cope when times get tough, and even boosting our chances of living longer.
As a hobby, gardening is definitely having a moment. ‘During lockdown, a staggering seven million Brits took up gardening, with studies finding two-thirds of them saying it helped to reduce their stress levels,’ reveals Caroline Paus, from Thrive.org.uk, a national charity using plants and gardens to improve physical and mental health. ‘That legacy has lived on. More and more people are waking up to the idea that putting your hands in the soil can be life-changing.’
The most obvious benefit is to your physical health – as the saying goes, gardens don’t look after themselves. ‘Moving pots, sowing seeds, watering, mowing lawns… before you know it, you’ve done two hours of exercise, and you’ll sleep more soundly,’ says Caroline. And let’s face it, working out surrounded by flowers is nicer than sweating it out on an exercise bike. ‘Gardening isn’t a hobby that allows you to drop out, like a gym membership. It’s about routine and regular, gentle exercise, which is good for you in so many different ways,’ says Andrew Perry from Urban-herbs.co.uk, and author of The Herb Gardening Handbook (Hardie Grant, £14.99). ‘There’s also a secondary physical benefit, in that if you start growing your own produce, you inevitably end up eating more seasonally, and experimenting with new plant-based flavours, which is good for your body, too.’
Getting out in the garden doesn’t just bring physical benefits. ‘The calming activities of watering, pruning and repotting plants has been proven to reduce your heart rate, blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol,’ says George Williams, founder of plant and well-being subscription service, Mindbodysoil.com, who reveals there’s even a natural antidepressant found in the earth. ‘Scientists have discovered that as you plunge your hands into soil, a bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae, is released into the air. When you breathe it in, your body releases serotonin – the happiness hormone – making you feel happier and more relaxed.’
There are other, more surprising benefits. ‘Gardening has been proven to
