Mental health and gardening

Why shouldn’t mental health have its time in the sun? It’s been the poor relation of the NHS ever since I became aware of it when I was 14 and my mother was sectioned for the first time.

Some enjoy a garden, some don’t. What benefits my mental and physical health may not benefit yours. The benefits of being outside to general well-being have been known for many a year. Gardening is simply part of that. I can’t walk for miles, haven’t been able to for over 30 years. I can and do tend a garden. For me there’s a sense of calm and great satisfaction in tending a small garden which evolves to suit my increasing physical limitations. Definitely a fine weather gardener but that’s OK, the plants are still there waiting.

My physical health is poor and often I'm unable to go out. My garden has been a great solace to me. I find when I'm feeling low ( and it has happened a lot recently), pottering in the garden has soothed my troubled soul.
It is my haven, where I enjoy the solitude. I see gardening as a form of mindfulness, which works very well for me.

I'm not always physically up to it, but my DH and occasionally my daughter help. I have adapted my once busy garden to suit my needs.

Excellent post, NanaDana.

There is an assumption that everybody has a garden.

Completely agree NanaDana. How can reference to mental health and the benefits of gardening ever be offensive?

The Royal College of Psychiatrists first highlighted a sharp rise in mental ill health that began after the first lockdown in March 2020. Despite the removal of restrictions, figures continue to rise, and health care professionals now generally accept that we are experiencing a mental health crisis. Not only that, but the pressure on the NHS also means that treatment is adversely affected. On that basis alone, I feel that criticism of allegedly undue focus on the problem is both unwarranted, and hurtful, despite reassurances that there is "no offence intended". The topic is not just "another BBC bandwagon", as anyone who suffers from mental health issues or has relatives or friends who do so will confirm. It is a major, everyday issue, which adversely impacts upon every layer of society. and brings misery to many lives. To argue that anyone, including Gardeners' World is "OTT" in its reference to it is, in my opinion, hurtful and unfair, and indicates a certain lack of empathy and understanding. As someone who has experienced a suicide in the family directly related to mental health issues, I make no apology for my views on this topic.

I have a large garden of around a third of an acre, most of it on a steep slope. Neither me, nor my late husband were keen gardeners so we left the areas on the slope to go wild. In recent years, we gradually made the rest of the garden as easy maintenance as possible. Now I'm on my own, I find gardening even more of a chore so have employed a gardener who comes twice a month. He's not been that reliable recently so my son has stepped in a few times along with his partner and my 3 grandsons in an attempt to bring things under control.

I find the whole thing pretty stressful to be honest!

What I do find relaxing, however, apart from meeting up with friends and family etc. is my voluntary work in the forest. I work with 2 other retired women and we plant trees, prune, tidy areas and help with conservation surveys, things like deer and reptile counts. We also spend a fair bit of time drinking coffee and eating cake too.
Not sure why I don't get the same effect doing the same or similar work in my own garden but, I suspect it's the social aspect. Meeting people and working together.

I fell over in my garden the other day. Landed on my back swearing like a trooper.
Took me a while to be able to get up.
Taught me that I should always have my phone on me or it would be hours before anyone would come home and find me. And how would the emergency services get in the front door?
Yes, too much emphasis on mental health and we are so overweight as a nation. Why don't they talk about the physical effects of exercise.?
I don't often watch Gardeners World.
Not sure why not. Would rather look at plant and seed catalogues for new varieties.

My garden is causing me anxiety as due to my physical health issues I can't maintain in in the way I would like. I love gardening and it breaks my heart that I can't get down on my knees to weed and tend plants. I have a man who comes to cut the lawns but he is not that great and doesn't always turn up when supposed to. I struggled to find him as so many jobs available to 'gardeners' in my area.I have had one half of the garden laid to lawn to try and make things easier but his lack of attention to edge trimming and reliability make me wonder should I have bothered, should I have just left it to go 'wild'.

I find gardening good for my mental health just after my gardener has paid one of his monthly visits.

I'm just happy when I'm outside - either walking or gardening. never find it a chore but don't aim for perfection, just a lot of pottering and plant admiration, a little pruning, weeding and mowing. I find it very relaxing.

Housework, though - is a real effort, little reward and much resentment. I limit my efforts, to avoid headaches.

It’s a really good half hour of advice and instruction. I like to watch both.

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on Earth."
"God's Garden" lines 13–16, Poems, by Dorothy Frances Gurney. Circa 1913.
Apparently it was originally written down in Lord Ronald Gower’s visitor’s book, inspired by his exquisite garden at Hammerfield Penshurst. I have to agree with the sentiment, and yes, gardens and gardening can be helpful for some who are suffering from MH problems. Not for everyone, obviously, but if it works for some, why knock it?

Beechgrove gardens which is on BBC before GW is much more practical and I prefer to watch that now. More focus on gardening rather than gardeners.

Eddiecat78 - my thoughts exactly!

I spent nineteen years living in places that were challenging in gardening terms, and never a long term proposition, so when we bought a house of our own, I went to work on the garden with a will. I never thought about whether it was good for my mental health - sometimes it was downright frustrating and ruinously expensive (rather like fishing which is also supposed to be good for your mental health!) - but physically it was a workout. When we moved to this house, there wasn’t a single flowering plant in the garden at all. All that changed - but now there’s only me and it’s challenging me again. When it comes together, though, the satisfaction I feel surpasses everything.

My bottlebrush is about ready to flower just got these in the photo off the allotment and I can tell you they are so tasty

My gardens ( front and back) which aren’t big look after themselves I don’t have a manicured garden everything grows where it wants and they wander round from year to year The cowslips were in a totally different area this year and the poppies are all coming up on the opposite side of the garden to where they were last year, I love it
I do bits and bobs when I feel like it and because it’s partly wild I don’t have to weed as they all grow where they want
It’s amazing

I'm sick to death of them constantly banging on about the benefits to mental health - the nature programmes do it too. I don't know who they are aiming at. Those of us who love gardening - and are likely to be watching - have already realised it is good for us. People with mental health problems who don't like gardening aren't likely to be watching!

Sidelined

Casdon, I began watching in hope something would click but now we watch religiously every week because OH (who never gardens I should add but likes it looking nice) is hooked

Well that is brilliant, if he's doing most of it.

I'd feel different if I just had a wee garden to take care of. I've. stopped watching GW as cant cope with a very big one.

its not difficult. Gardening is one of many activities that CAN BE good for your menatl health, the same as many kinds of craft, walking, reading singing and so on. Gardening has the additional benefit of involving physical exercise BUT like many other activities, its only beneficial if you enjoy it. I would say to the OP if you don't enjoy it then why do it? Rewilding doesn't mean letting the place go to rack and ruin. Mine is a wild garden and it takes more work than if it was neat and tidy because you have to control the wildness. I love my garden and working in it. I don't care if its good or bad for me, I'd do it anyway.

kittylester

My Bottlebrush is going great guns!!

Mine is very sad this year, I must save it!! 😲

I'm experimenting with chop and drop - prunings etc stay where they land (but not on the gravel)

Maybe some people are just trying too hard for perfection. Re-wilding is important now given the reduction in the numbers of many birds and butterflies.

When we moved to Suffolk in 1986 we gained a 1 acre field which hadn't sprayed. It had some orchids and other wild flowers. We kept if and just mowed paths so that we could enjoy walking about in it. It was mowed once a year in autumn, after the seeds had set. When we sold the house the couple who bought it, particularly the husband, were enthralled with it. He has revived our little vineyard (50 vines) and continues to maintain it for wildlife.

Now that we are in France, with a larger plot we have again created wild flower meadows. We do have a garden next to the house which is fenced, to keep the dogs in and the deer out. Sadly the fence doesn't keep the hedgehogs out. On the rare occasions when one turns up in the garden, usually at night, the dogs if they are out go beserk and I have to put leads on them in order to drag them off.

We get so much pleasure from the variety of wild flowers that appear over the year (over 100) as well as the birds and insects.

As we are getting older gardening in the English way with herbaceous borders is getting more difficult and we have moving towards more shrubs and also using weed mat and gravel. We are also planting more silver leaved plants which are better suited to the conditions here. I can't kneel but am content to stand for hours cutting back roses once they've finished flowering. It is a soothing operation I think.

Sidelined

Casdon, I began watching in hope something would click but now we watch religiously every week because OH (who never gardens I should add but likes it looking nice) is hooked

Do you maybe need to hone in on one plant or group you really love, and learn how to look after them really well to raise your enjoyment levels? You could put mulch down on the borders to reduce weeding and save time on the elements you don’t like, and indulge your passion for herbs, roses or whatever?

Casdon, I began watching in hope something would click but now we watch religiously every week because OH (who never gardens I should add but likes it looking nice) is hooked