The fresh summer air, the pollen toing and froing around you as the smell of freshly cut grass tickles your nostrils – there are few better feelings than pottering around your garden.
And your green fingers could even be aiding a healthy lifestyle.
According to national newspaper the Guardian, doctors have begun prescribing some time in your garden to improve the health and fitness boost of some patients.
Indeed, it’s been said that even a simple view of a garden could save the economy £300 per person per year in the UK, thanks to reductions in sick days at work.
“Horticultural therapy” has been a skyrocketing trend amongst those looking for a health boost, and it’s easy to see why. After a simple potter around your garden, you’ll have filled your lungs with fresh air, enjoyed some exercise and gained a mental health boost from the lilting calm of cultivating a perfect patch of greenery.
Endless benefits
James Jiler, a Miami-based head of a non-profit garden firm, believes that people are keying into a primal urge when they up tools and plant hydrangeas.
A lot of people [understand] that experience,” he claims. “They may not be able to put it into words, but they understand what’s happening.”
Studies from a group of scientists in the Netherlands have even shown that gardening is more relaxing than curling up with a good book.
In our society where smartphones and emails and constant Facebook notifications overload our senses daily, the peace and quiet of gardening is vital for our mental wellbeing.
So if you need a breather from the hurry scurry of your daily life, pick up a trowel and get shifting dirt!
