All our gardens, streets and patches of sky are part of our own perception of the world. If, in our own modest back yards, we can help preserve and treasure our natural world, then we will make this planet a better place- not just for ourselves but for every living creature.
My Gardening World – Monty Don.
The benefit of the outdoors and green spaces on our mental health and well being has long been documented. While the positive effects of becoming involved directly with nature through gardening, activities at home or on allotments may be even more beneficial. Not just in the process of being at one in nature, but using the senses to literally smell the roses, touching bare soil and tending to flowers and plants, or even watching vegetables grow. These activities can all contribute to a us feeling good. Not to mention the feel of the sun on our faces and breathing in fresh green air.
Dr Pippa Allen is owner of St David’s Perennial Gardens, as well as a part time gardener and University researcher.
She says that research has investigated the question ‘is gardening good for you?’. With some very positive results, researchers from the University of Tokyo and Exeter pulled together all the available international literature, reporting the effects of gardening and horticulture therapy on health in 2016 (see reference below). The results provided robust evidence for the positive effects of gardening on individual and national health.
The authors say
“A regular dose of gardening can improve public health”.
Reference – Masashi Soga, Kevin J. Gaston, Yuichi Yamaura, Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis, Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 5, 2017, Pages 92-99, ISSN 2211-3355
The Perennial is the result of a long-standing dream of Gill Lewis and Pippa Allen, to create a productive garden and a space that brings pleasure to visitors. The Perennial Gardens, near St Davids, offer a plant nursery, a cafe, a shop selling Rhosgadw beef and lamb, local produce, plus a range of handmade bird, bee and bat boxes, crafts, seeds and gardenalia. And to top it all, there is a salad and cut flower growing business. Their mission is to inspire and enthuse visitors to garden and grow in their own spaces, however small (or large).
As Pippa noted, gardening and outdoor activity increased during national lockdown,
“Around St Davids, the Perennial had tangible evidence of local enthusiasm for gardening, as we sold compost, veg plants and plants for garden makeovers.”
The Guardian also reported a firm rise in seed sales with people worldwide turning to gardening as a hobby.
“The Seed Co-operative, which is owned and run by its members, has reported that orders are up to six times higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, the Royal Horticultural Society has seen a fivefold rise in queries for advice on its website during the lockdown.”
The benefits of gardening activity have become of interest to people of all ages too. In the Dyfi Valley, in mid-Wales, sisters Tala Sutton eight, and Sirena five, became part of a community-wide scheme to grow more flowers. Tala told the BBC
“I quite like watching the plants grow, I can’t wait to see how big my sunflower gets.”
Sirena added,
“It feels good planting seeds and waiting for the flowers and food.”
It seems that during the lockdown and with the growing uncertainty of the past year, people have turned to gardening as a hobby, as well as a secure source of food production. Having a garden has not halted the most ambitious of plans. Many have taken to growing indoor plants on the window sills of city centre flats, adorning grey interiors of concrete jungles with colourful blooms, flowering cacti and even herbs and small vegetables. City centre plant shops have seen increased sales to support such activity.
Garden Know How shared ‘The Beginners Guide to Urban Gardening’ in June 2020, following increased demand for information and support for gardening activity in more built-up areas. The Office of National Statistics reported in May 2020 that 1 in 8 British households do not have access to a private or shared garden, according to analysis Ordnance Survey map data. They also reported that people from ethnic minority groups are less likely to have access to their own private garden. Although people with no access to a garden area are more likely to be near to a public park or green space, older people (those over 65 and within vulnerable category) are more likely to have access to a private garden.
The benefits of any kind of gardening activity have been highlighted by public figures, such as Alan Titchmarsh MBE and Monty Don OBE.
Alan Titchmarsh is a horticultural expert and has presented programmes, such as the Chelsea Flower show, Gardeners World and Ground Force alongside Charlie Dimmock. More recently, his BBC programme ‘Love Your Garden’ has seen several beneficial gardening projects showcasing the health benefits and possibilities of gardening. Most memorable is the case of 4-year-old Isabelle Cooper, who has a rare eye condition which is causing her to slowly go blind. Alan Titchmarsh’s complete garden space, with sensory elements including water and playful objects, as well as a safe green space to keep her parents minds at rest, brought viewers to tears.
Alan Titchmarsh appeared on ITV’s ‘Lorraine‘ in the summer 2020, welcoming the news of the re-opening of garden centres across the country.
Speaking of the benefits of gardening on mental health, he said,
“What’s become clear, over these past few weeks, is the healing properties of getting your hands mucky and watching something grow.”
This inspired his ‘Grow Your Own at Home’ show, which aired at the end of May 2020. He enthused:
“Our life is totally dependent on those green things that are rooted in the earth! We wanted to encourage everybody to grow something to eat.”
Monty Don is another well-loved figure of British Gardening and has presented TV programmes and written books on the subject. He has presented ‘Gardeners World’ since 2003 and since 2011, it has been filmed at his home and garden in Herefordshire. He gives tips and advice in several supplements, including the Daily Mail weekend magazine, as well as on his website, which also showcase his beautiful home and garden, which he transformed with flowers, plants and vegetables.
Good Housekeeping online article notes seven benefits of gardening that proves it helps mind and body:
- It burns a lot of calories
- It can lower blood pressure
- Spending time outdoors is good for your bones
- Growing you own food can help you be healthier
- Gardening can relieve stress
- It can provide a sense of community – Track down your local allotment or find out if there are any community conservation projects in your area
- Gardening can make you happier
A major report by UK mental health charity MIND, noted the positive impact of gardening activity on mind, body and soul. They note the boost that gardening can give to your mental health, with information on eco therapy programmes (a form of therapeutic treatment outdoors), pairing individuals with outdoor activities such as gardening and conservation, exercise, arts and crafts.
They also suggest ideas to try in nature here.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales, in Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, is keen to promote the health benefits of gardening, as well as the impact we can have on our planet – through their Saving Pollinators Campaign.
In July 2020, they published a blog by Kevin McGinn, entitled ‘Healthy Plants and Gardens, Healthy Wales’. The blog came from a response to news that the United Nations had designated 2020 as the international year of plant health. Noting that if we protect our plant health, we protect the benefits that plants provide to our health and wellbeing, to wildlife, to the environment, to our culture and the economy. Read more about this here.
The Botanic Gardens horticultural teams are working continuously on a variety of projects while the gardens remain closed, as well as maintaining and enhancing the collections for visitors’ return. The latest publication looks at how honeybees have been helping to track how the UK’s fields, hedgerows and gardens have changed since the 1950’s.
They encourage people to ‘get gardening’ saying on their website:
“Gardens and outdoor spaces have become a haven for many people during lockdown, and the pandemic has created a new generation of enthusiasts who have discovered the mental and physical health and well-being benefits of gardening and reconnecting with nature.”
The Botanic Gardens have a variety of gardening tutorial videos and resources for any age and ability, provided by their ‘Growing the Future Project’. They also offer pollinator friendly plants for the garden and a variety of native wildflower seeds (harvested from Waun Las National Nature Reserve) or sale in their online shop.
Aberglasney Gardens in Llangathen, Carmarthenshire, has also recently announced that they are, once again, going to be a Horticultural and Botanic Garden Training Programme placement garden, offering students the opportunity to complete a funded 12-month placement starting in September 2021. This means great things for the next generations of gardeners.
“Our compact yet extremely diverse Gardens are a great place to train. Students will gain experience in over 20 different gardening styles and methods including formal, woodland, kitchen, cut flowers, meadows and herbaceous. Since Aberglasney is ever-evolving, we’re often able to provide students with unique and valuable opportunities to participate in significant landscape projects.
As well as this, students will be working closely with our gardening team and have regular contact with our Head Gardener, meaning they will learn first-hand from experienced professionals, in a safe and supportive learning environment.”
You must be 18+ to apply. Applications open from March 1st to April 1st and can be made on the HBGTP website.
Aberglasney was made famous by the BBC television series ‘A Garden Lost in Time‘ which followed its restoration. Today, it is one of Wales’ finest gardens, and at its heart lies a fully restored Elizabethan Cloister Garden that is the only surviving example of its kind in the UK today. When it’s open, visitors can explore 10 acres of over 20 different garden styles from formal to woodland, right through to exotic and modern, along with the fully restored ground floor of Aberglasney’s grade II* listed mansion offering a venue for weddings, exhibitions and events.
Their head gardener posts regularly on their blog ‘Aberglasney Through the Seasons’ featuring the beautiful flowers growing in the landscape. There have also been several gardening workshops scheduled for spring and summer, if permissible under Covid regulations. For more information, visit Aberglasney Gardens.
There’s also a lovely community garden project developing in St Davids called Erw Dewi (Dewi’s Acre), which is developing as part of a collaboration between EcoDewi and St. David’s Cathedral. The project that will not only benefit local community but also our local natural environment. Find out more about Erw Dewi and their fundraising appeal here.
Find out more about the Perennial gardens, near St David’s here. Or visit the Botanic Gardens website.
Check out the Wales Region of the National Allotment Society for more information on local allotments and facilities.
