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The therapeutic benefits of gardening have been recognized since humans first cultivated plants, but there is now a growing professional practice linking gardening to numerous, wide-ranging health benefits.

'Horticultural Therapy' is based on the physical, mental and emotional healing that is possible from regular interaction with a garden. It is successfully used in a variety of situations and is useful in helping people with special needs, or the elderly and infirm, as well as those who have mental health problems, or who are recovering from physical illness.

The physical benefits of fresh air and exercise are perhaps the most obvious:

Gardening provides aerobic, isotonic and isometric exercise, the combination of which benefits the muscles and bones, as well as the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Strength, endurance and flexibility are all improved by gardening, making it one of the best all-round exercises, helping to prevent things like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Gardeners are more likely to eat a wide range of fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs than non-gardeners, even if they don't cultivate the produce themselves. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is essential to a healthy diet.

Added to this is the fact that physical exercise releases endorphins, which help to alleviate stress and its negative results. Studies have shown that simply being in a garden lowers blood pressure. A healthy dose of gardening will also stimulate the appetite and foster a good night's sleep.

But beyond the physical, there are many other health benefits to gardening:

Gardening can also help with the development of social and intellectual skills, including those needed for social inclusion or rehabilitation, as well as basic skills like literacy and numeracy.

A garden provides an oasis of calm in a mad, mad world. A personal, private and peaceful place to escape to, from time to time, when we need to restore a sense of balance and wellbeing.

Gardening is a form of meditation, of being lost in the moment. It quietens the conscious mind, allowing the subconscious mind to mull over problems and often discover solutions. It is also a form of self-expression; developing creativity, building confidence and allowing a healthy outlet for emotions.

Furthermore, gardening promotes a sense of achievement when we step back and see the difference we have made, and a sense of wonder at the small, important things in life.

Gardeners are usually hopeful, optimistic people; looking forward to the next season or year, while enjoying the present and respecting the past, they are generally positive thinkers. They are also often philosophical in their outlook; accepting that things are not always perfect, happy to be flexible and to adapt to circumstances beyond their control.

Gardens are sensual places, engaging all our senses in a variety of ways, encouraging us to be more in touch with ourselves and in tune with nature's slower, gentler rhythms. Simply spending time in a garden, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells around us, can invoke a powerful sense of belonging and spiritual peace. When we nurture a garden, we increase our connection and our sense of wellbeing.

Learn more about this author, Dianne Murphy-Rodgers.
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