No one would argue with the fact that gardening is immensely satisfying – growing beautiful flowers or a fruitful plant from seed can be very rewarding indeed.
Now, the NHS is cottoning on to the fact that gardening can be beneficial to those suffering mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. A GP practice in Manchester has even started to prescribe gardening to patients with mental health conditions that cause a low mood.
Cornbrook Medical Practice in Hulme gives patients plants to nurture, which are placed in the surgery’s garden when ready. People can then enjoy the communal space along with others.
In south east London, meanwhile, GPS can refer patients to Sydenham Garden for therapeutic horticultural sessions. A representative from Mind, the mental health charity, said that gardening:
“…can even be as effective as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression and anxiety.”
It is thought that the mix of outdoor exercise, immersion in nature and social contact is the magic formula that pays dividends for those who need to nurture their mental health. Gardening can thus contribute to an overall sense of wellbeing – as well as achievement.
TV gardener Monty Don has also sung the praises of gardening, saying that it has helped with his own experience of depression. In a Gardener’s World piece published in early 2019, the seasoned pro claimed that tending his garden helped him to cope with a world that can be “stressful, chaotic and, at times, downright appalling”.
Perhaps in future it will be more common to pop to the garden centre when feeling low, rather than popping antidepressants.
