From my first job up until just a few years ago, I studied and worked part-time as a holistic therapist. I am driven by a sense that if people feel good, the world will be a better place.
In days gone by we would be sent to the seaside or the countryside to convalesce when unwell. With the stresses of modern living, how and where can we receive respite and revitalisation on a daily basis? If we are lucky enough to have one, the garden can be our daily dose of medicine to not only work the body, but also soothe the mind and feed the soul. Our gardens, balconies or even windowsills can be the foundation for good health if we imbue them with plants and design features through mindful attention.
Gardens and nature have been at the centre of health and well-being for aeons. We've seen them embedded in religion since the Garden of Eden, to Islamic paradise gardens to medieval monastic gardens. They have quite literally been our medicine, as scholars studied plants in the physic gardens of old, making plant-based concoctions to heal ailments of the body and mind. The perspective of religious reverence or scientific evidence has shifted balance in more recent years as science has been able to measure why gardens and gardening are good for us.
I'm a trustee of the National Garden Scheme, a charity that asks passionate garden owners to share their plot with enthusiastic visitors, all for the price of a modest entry fee, and of course, hopefully also the purchase of tea and cake! This simple act of enjoyment raises more than £3m each year, which is then distributed to healthcare charities to help those in need. The garden is the epicenter of wellness, just as it was in times of old.
So what is it about the garden that so many of us are enchanted by, love, or at times feel addicted to? Let's take a look at that impact on three different levels.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2024 من BBC Gardeners World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2024 من BBC Gardeners World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there