Why caring for your plants equals caring for yourself

At the end of the 19th century a philanthropic movement dealt out plants to the poor in hope of boosting spirits of the community. Though this is something unlikely to ever be included in government policies or funding nobody can deny the happiness we can get from an in bloom rose bush or a good batch of homegrown vegetables.

Gardening is many things, it can help us unwind, it can bring us closer to nature and it can give us privacy and space. Bunny Guinness is a gold medal winner at Chelsea flower show and is an advocate of gardening as a therapy. “Stresses and worries peel away as the body loosens up through physical activity. Breathing becomes deeper, the scents lift our moods, and we lose ourselves in the movements. I have seen gardeners who are depressed, recovering from illness or less mobile than they once were, gaining huge benefit from designing and cultivating their own landscapes. Gardening seems to engender a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts self-confidence and helps us to deal with other aspects of life.”

Marilyn Mountford is a horticultural therapist and points out that the simple act of sewing a new seed or planting a new bulb is an act of hope.

Mentally gardening can have huge benefits and could even mean no counselling fees or no anti depressants. The physical act of gardening will help you burn calories and it will also release endorphins, serotonin and dophamine otherwise known as the happy hormones.

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