As gardeners, we know we feel better when we're working in the garden. Nothing pulls weeds faster than a few frustrations, but it's much more than that. When we work in our gardens, we get physical activity in the outdoors; we have a front-row seat to insect, plant, bird and animal life cycles; and we enjoy a palette where we use fragrances and colors and textures and design principles to create something uniquely beautiful and uniquely ours. For many of us, our gardens are our canvases where we exercise our imagination and our creativity.
In the September/October 2023 issue of Horticulture, I wrote about the growing body of research that proves gardening's role in keeping us mentally well. I've recently found two books published in the United Kingdom that expand on that idea. One is written by a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who draws on decades of experience as a clinician and a gardener to discuss how gardening and interaction with the natural world benefit us. The other is written by a woman with mental illness whose efforts at becoming well brought her to outdoor activities, including gardening.
My premise here is that mental wellness exists on a continuum: Whether one has a clinical diagnosis of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or one simply experiences the everyday stresses of modern life, we all benefit psychologically from time spent outdoors, tending and loving our gardens.
A doctor's take
In The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature, doctor and author Sue Stuart-Smith covers a lot of ground explaining how gardening and the natural world positively influence our well-being. I'd like to focus on three points here: presence; anticipation; and repetition.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Horticulture.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Horticulture.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
GAGA FOR GALANTHUS
As easy as they are irresistible, snowdrops boast a devoted and growing following
NEW PLANTS
Multiseason Marvels
BLUEBERRIES & CO.
Members of the genus Vaccinium provide sweet flavor, health benefits and beauty in the garden
AN ECOLOGICAL AGREEMENT
How three great minds think alike
Take It Indoors
Cs the growing season dwindles, _ potted cittus became a summer souuenir
ROOTED IN PLACE
LAYERING IS A PROPAGATION TECHNIQUE THAT TAKES A WHILE TO COMPLETE, BUT IT DEMANDS LITTLE EFFORT FROM THE GARDENER
AT HOME WITH PLANTS
Business travel and pleasure trips helped inspire this Cincinnati garden
THE GARDEN GOES DARK
Yes, gardens have their dark side. But-surprise! A garden's darkness can be good, not sinister.
LOW-WATER WONDERS
EXPLORE ONE PLANTSMAN'S DROUGHT-TOLERANT FAVORITES FOR EACH LEVEL OF THE GARDEN
Succeed With Succession- The best crops to plant throughout summer, plus how to time them right
The best crops to plant throughout summer, plus how to time them right. Once a crop like spring turnips or snap peas has finished, I tidy up the bed, amend the soil with a thin layer of compost and replant. Depending on the new crop, I may be sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings.
