Boost your wellness the natural way

Gardening is good for you! Six inspiring experts reveal how getting your hands into soil, growing beneficial plants and connecting with nature can transform all aspects of your health.

Gardening offers more than just beautiful blooms and fresh produce - it can also be a powerful tool for improving our wellbeing. Whether it's tending to house plants, digging in the dirt or growing your own food, the act of nurturing plants or simply getting outdoors in nature can help us heal, recharge and find solace.

This can be especially important in winter, when darker days and colder weather can take their toll on physical and mental wellbeing. There are also times in life when you might need a little extra help from nature, from accessing the power of healing herbs or nutritious plants to help combat stress or illness, to finding therapy and togetherness in forest bathing or the collective spirit of community gardening.

In this special feature, we explore the experiences of six gardeners and nature and wellbeing experts who share how gardening has transformed their lives, giving them hope, resilience and a healthier lifestyle. They show how anyone, no matter their circumstances, can benefit from time spent with plants.

Gardening for recovery Andrew Oldham, garden writer and journalist @lifeonpigrow

My love of growing my own began around the age of 29, when I was involved in a car accident and then had to learn how to walk again. Obviously, when you're learning to walk in your late 20s, it's not as easy as when you're a toddler. I was in a lot of pain and ended up depressed. My consultant recommended that I take up gardening.