If you’re feeling down about the state of the world, and there certainly is good reason to these days, I have another antidote for you—join a community group of gardeners. It’s a failproof remedy for all the troubles in the world.
That may seem to border on hyperbole, but I recently joined our local garden club, which has a throng of members. We meet monthly, and the experts on board share their wisdom with the rest of us would-be gardeners in a kind and joyous manner.
We recently had our annual plant sale. A few of the members have greenhouses and expansive gardens, and they do their annual thinning and plucking, allowing those who attend the plant sale to benefit from the bounty. The collective wisdom on all manner of plants and their care is quite astounding, and… it got me thinking.
The Therapeutic Horticulture Research Database created by Canada’s Root in Nature provides access to many studies that support and explain how gardening benefits mental health, emotional well-being and cognitive function, meaning there is a simple and accessible tool literally at our fingertips. None of these findings is based on conjecture. A controlled trial involving 211 psychiatric inpatients, randomly selected, found that after four weeks of horticultural therapy, patients experienced significantly reduced anxiety as compared to standard care alone. Anxiety levels dropped as patients planted, watered, and tended small garden beds.
Another Canadian study looked at an eight-session horticultural therapy program for 82 participants living with mental illness. Participants reported stress relief, improved self-efficacy and a stronger connection to nature, not to mention the simple joy they experienced in caring for plants and learning new skills. The response was immediate despite the short sessions and aligns with what many gardeners already know.
We don’t need a huge garden or years of experience to feel the benefits of caring for plants. Even tending to a few pots on a balcony does wonders. Some years ago, I reported on the benefits of prison farms and how inmates caring for gardens and animals were transformed as compared to other prisons. Unfortunately, six of those farms were closed under the Harper government.
Studies reveal that gardening naturally engages the brain, improving cognitive function, especially in older adults and those with chronic health conditions. Gardening requires planning, problem-solving and focusing on the needs of plants—gentle cognitive exercise. The research supports gardening programs in long-term care homes as a meaningful intervention.
Gardening connects people and provides for social well-being despite being a solitary activity. In small rural and semi-rural communities, social isolation can be a challenge, but community gardens allow people to gather, to share knowledge and experiences as they work toward a common goal. Gardening is accessible to all ages, and it naturally creates inclusive spaces. It sneaks physical activity into our day in a way that isn’t contrived and with no need to go to the gym.
Our climate can be challenging in Canada, but that hasn’t stopped gardening from becoming a powerful wellness tool. The Root in Nature database allows Canadian practitioners and educators access to high-quality research to apply to local programs. Gardening is thought of as a hobby, which it certainly is, but is also increasingly recognized as a legitimate therapeutic intervention. Caring for plants helps us care for ourselves, and the benefits are profound.
As I squat near my garden beds to scrutinize the small green eruption from the soil, I feel transformed. As I shelter my juvenile plants from wind and torrential rain, I feel grateful for the opportunity to save them. And as I witnessed the kindness overflowing at our recent plant sale, the laughter and the sharing, I felt that sense of belonging that we all need, to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
My poor wee garden doesn’t have the benefit of full sun due to the towering trees creating a canopy over my yard. The deer will wander in for a snack when the time is right for them. We do share this space, and I recognize they were here before me. Hopefully, I’ll be able to harvest a bit of my vegetable bounty for myself, but there is no guarantee. I’m fine with that. It really is all in the planting and the tending where the joy is found. Harvest is merely one part of the journey. It was Mahatma Gandhi who told us: “To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”
Happy gardening!
