(StatePoint) Gardening is not only a means for beautifying outdoor spaces and growing delicious foods. According to those who spend significant time in the yard, getting outside can also support your wellbeing.
“Gardening is good for the mind, it’s good for the soul and it’s good for the body,” said legendary football coach, Vince Dooley. “I enjoy coming out to garden, and when I finish, I feel like I’ve done something, and I feel good.”
Landscape architect Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground recently visited Dooley in Athens, Ga. to discuss gardening and mental health. Here are some of the insights they shared: Health Benefits
• Active benefits: Gardening exercises the body and clears the mind. Studies show that increased outdoor exposure leads to fewer longterm health problems, helping improve cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, strength, and dexterity—all leading to better mental health. Simply planting, growing, harvesting and maintaining plants gives you a direct emotional boost. Why? Gardening helps foster nurturing instincts and restores a sense of hope and purpose, ultimately improving self-esteem.
Designing Your Garden Scott advises designing your garden to reflect how you want to live outside. He typically builds “rooms” connected by meandering paths for resting, unwinding, and feeling restored. However, your outdoor spaces don’t always need to be quiet. They can encourage activity as well. If you enjoy company, create gathering spaces. Or, if you have hobbies that can be done outdoors like exercising, painting or writing, you can set aside areas for them.
1. Sight: Choose calming colors, or those that bring you joy. The simple sight of a breathtaking array of plants or an arrangement of favorite flowers is bound to give your mental health a boost.
2. Taste: Growing your own food will provide you with an incredibly rewarding harvest. Not only will you be able to enhance meals with the fruits of your labor, you’ll get the personal satisfaction of a job well done.
3. Hearing: Among the plants and flowers, add fixtures, such as wind chimes and water features, that’ll produce soothing sounds.
4. Touch: From the light, feathery textures of petals to the rough surfaces of bark or bush stems, touch offers a deeper sense of connection.