Gardening for Calm: How Anxious Brits Are Using Plants to Improve Mental Health
Summer brings plenty of opportunities to get stuck into the garden, with sunshine and rain helping everything come to life. From tending to flower beds to pruning, feeding and watering, there’s always something to keep green fingers busy, and many find great satisfaction in the daily rhythm of caring for a garden.
However, gardening isn’t just about keeping things tidy, even the smallest tasks can be incredibly rewarding as they offer a great way to boost our mental and physical wellbeing, explains Lisa Harding, Danforth Care Regional Manager for three care homes in Yorkshire.
Why is gardening good for our physical health?
“Gardening is a great exercise for the full body,” says Lisa, Regional Manager at Danforth’s care homes in Yorkshire. “It builds strength in key muscles such as your quadriceps and your hamstrings, and enhances flexibility – stretching out your back, hips and shoulders. Gardening for even ten minutes can be a full body work out!”
“Simple gardening tasks such as weeding and cutting the grass have you pushing, pulling and carrying – all of which add to your strength and your mobility. It also gets you walking around, adding to your step count, which is great for your heart health.”
“Since it’s not exercise in the traditional sense, many people prefer it as it doesn’t feel like a workout, and it can be as gentle or as challenging as you’d like. You can see the fruits of your labour (sometimes literally!), and this helps to keep people motivated. Keeping fit is almost a biproduct of tending to the garden.”
Why is gardening good for our mental health?
“There are many reasons gardening is so good for our minds. For example, sunshine reduces blood pressure and increases our vitamin D levels, which lifts our mood, and the physical exercise provides mind boosting endorphins as well. The presence of plants and a natural landscape reduces our stress levels and improves our emotional outlook.” says Lisa.
“Gardening can also be a great social activity, which is something that works wonders for our mental wellbeing. This aspect really benefits older people, keeping them fit, healthy and connected with their community.”
Gardening in care homes
“You can enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of gardening at any age, anywhere, and it’s particularly important for the residents in our care homes. For many, gardening has long been a meaningful part of their lives, offering a sense of purpose, promoting well-being, and helping them stay active.
“Some residents bring decades of gardening experience and relish in sharing tips and tricks with us and their neighbours. Others are completely new to it but have really enjoyed being hands-on with planting and pruning for the first time.”
“It’s wonderful to see the happiness it brings our residents, and the pride they take in their garden spaces and the things they grow. Being part of that experience is truly special, and I find real fulfilment in helping everyone in our community make the most of their outdoor environments.”
“We’ve recently been working on our Ground to Plate initiative, which celebrates sustainable living through homegrown produce. It’s been amazing to see each care home growing a selection of fruit and vegetables which have been chosen and cared for by the residents, to later be used in the home’s kitchens. To coincide with this, we’ve also had professional chef, Theo Michaels, visit several of our care homes to perform live cooking demonstrations using the produce grown by the residents he’s visiting.”
Crave Magazine is proud to be a leading lifestyle magazine in the UK, inspiring modern living.