Aside from the physical health benefits of gardening, it also promotes mental well-being. Research has consistently shown that outdoor activities, such as exercise and gardening, can decrease stress hormone levels and improve mental health, well-being and productivity of people of all ages.

 

Contact with nature can enhance mental well-being, by inducing a positive mood, “reducing depression and improving cognitive functioning” (Gross, 2018). Connectedness to nature is also linked with a larger interest in the outdoors. Spending time in nature has been found to lower arousal levels and boost people’s sense of well-being. This arises from them “taking pleasure in things which are aligned with personal values,” such as gardening, which “make people feel intensely alive and authentic (known as eudaimonic well-being)” (Gross, 2018). Experimental investigations found that “exercise done on a treadmill indoors while able to see images of pleasant scenes improved self-esteem more than exercise without them” (Gross, 2018). In fact, the sight of unpleasant scenes were even found to have negative impacts on self-esteem. Further studies showed that “green exercise” was most beneficial to mental health when practiced in short engagements, such as allotment sessions, and that the presence of water enhances this positive effect. Interestingly, these studies have also found that participating in these activities have “greater effects on self-esteem for younger participants and greatest effects for those with poorer mental health” (Gross, 2018). A health survey from Scotland showed that “regular use of natural settings for physical activity, such as woodlands, parks and beaches, was better for mental health. Regular use of sports pitches or gyms and even using outdoor settings less than once a week were all positively associated with well-being scores, compared with not using these environments” (Gross, 2018).

 

This is why policy makers are trying to create more available green spaces in urban environments, and why doctors are encouraging more nature-based activities in order to increase physical activity and improve psychological well-being. 

 

Nevertheless, this correlation between “green exercise” and mental health does not necessarily imply causation, as it is possible that those with good mental health prefer or are more able to exercise outdoors. As with the physical benefits of gardening, it is clear that there is a link between the practice of gardening and positive mental health. However, it is unclear whether these impacts on mental well-being can be directly attributed to the process of gardening or just contact with nature in general, or even both.

 

Another big part of interacting with nature is its ability to restore people’s attention, also known as the Attention Restoration Theory (ART). Nearby nature, such as street trees, public gardens, and parks, has a positive impact on attention restoration, so implementing more greenery in urban environments is beneficial to the mental well-being of residents. Studies show that “the higher the density of trees in an urban environment, the better the health of the residents” and that “having only 11 more trees in a city block can have a health impact equivalent to an increase in personal income of £20,000 [the equivalent of $206,000HKD] and the commensurate reduction in cardiovascular risk” (Gross, 2018). Walking in rural and coastal areas has been found to improve mood and lower stress levels. However, walking through green spaces in itself is not necessarily mentally restorative, as people need to actively engage with their natural surroundings. Among the many mechanisms proposed relating nature and health, stress reduction is one of the strongest and most obvious. There is very compelling evidence to support the fact that contact with nature can reduce stress levels and improve mood.

 

Therapeutic horticulture is now becoming increasingly popular and is being offered to people with all sorts of disabilities and mental diseases. This includes people “with mental health problems, dementia, learning disabilities, physical ill-health or disabilities, and marginalized groups such as young offenders, refugees, asylum seekers and victims of torture” (Gross, 2018). The benefits of these gardening-based programs for promoting mental health are well-supported by research and evidence. These programs can be based in farms or allotments, and they often emphasize the training and development of skills. Horticultural therapy can benefit “people experiencing a range of chronic mental health issues, including depression and psychosis” (Gross, 2018). This is likely because individuals who participate in these activities are treated as humans rather than patients or clients; they are “supported by the presence of other people," and get the chance to work on something with a purpose (such as tending and cultivating plants), which “helps them to develop self-efficacy and self-esteem” (Gross, 2018).

 

Overall, gardening as a form of physical exercise and contact with nature provides benefits to human mental health.

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References:

Gross, H. (2018). The psychology of gardening. Routledge.