As the clocks go forward daylight hours become longer, seasons change, and the green shoots of early spring can be seen everywhere. We can look forward to getting outside more, and for many of us getting outside starts with stepping back out into our own gardens.
Gardening is one of the perennial activities associated with well-being. For centuries gardens have been places to retreat to, providing harvests of food for the table, and the source of remedies for our bodies and minds.
Here at Balmonds, we understand the benefits of natural ingredients that have been grown for centuries in the UK and pack our products full of natural ingredients grown for us by a biodynamic farm in the East Midlands. Soothing lavender, regenerative rosehip, calming chamomile, healing calendula, nettle, and nutritious safflower, sunflower and hemp seed oils feature across our product range.
But what about the benefits of gardens and gardening itself?
We spoke to our very own Balmonds Marketing Director, Lucy, who also owns and runs a pick-your-own flower farm nestled deep in the heart of Sussex, to find out more...
Gardening is good for the glutes!
Lucy says...
I had a comparatively sedentary life before I started the Flower Farm.
I was desk-bound for the majority of the week, and with a [then] eight-year-old, weekends were spent on the sidelines of the usual sweaty soft plays, painting pottery or pushing little people on the swings.
Although I know that starting the farm and moving my body in sometimes challenging ways has had a really positive impact on my strength and fitness, I was surprised to learn that gardening actually burns a comparable number of calories to playing badminton, volleyball or yoga!
Regular exposure to sunlight is also the most natural way to get enough vitamin D
Vitamin D is a vital building block for bone health, lowers blood pressure, supports the prevention of disease, and even maintains and enhances the synaptic function of the brain.
Lucy told us: “I really notice a difference in myself during the winter months. Once the flowering seasons are over and I’m not on the farm or outside so much, I tend to feel sluggish and a little more anxious. Come mid-February, and I’m desperate to get outside and soak up whatever sunshine I can.”
To maintain healthy levels of Vitamin D in your blood, aim to get at least 10–40 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. The darker your skin, the longer you may need to soak up those essential UV rays.
Gardening is good for the mind
Being in the garden isn’t just good for your body, it’s also good for the soul.
British physician Sir Muir Gray famously said that everyone needs a ‘Natural Health Service’ as well as a National Health Service.
There is a significant body of research that confirms that exposure to plants, time in gardens, and green spaces can support mental health.
In 2021, the RHS released research that revealed those who garden every day enjoy:
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well-being scores 6.6% higher than those who don’t garden regularly
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stress levels which are 4.2% lower than people who don’t garden at all
The concept of Green Therapy was explored in a two-day conference entitled, Health and Horticulture at RHS Wisley in 2022, and since January 2019, the NHS has officially included social prescribing in its Long Term Plan.
Indeed, GPs in Lambeth, London, have been blazing a trail over the last 10 years by running community gardens reporting huge benefits in the mental wellbeing of their patients.
Lucy agrees: “Lots of gardening tasks can be repetitive but hugely absorbing - like weeding a bed, planting out seedlings, mowing a lawn, or deadheading your flowers. I find that being in my beautiful green space, focusing on these very simple but mindful tasks can be hugely relaxing. Although you are constantly moving, your concentration on the task, when literally sat in the middle of a natural environment, is almost meditative.”
Gardening enables you to grow-your-own
“I specialise in cut flowers, but a lot of my knowledge has been passed onto me by my father-in-law, who is the allotment king of our village!” Lucy tells us.
“Even if you just dedicate a couple of container pots to growing simple everyday fruit and veg, like tomatoes, potatoes, or strawberries, you’ll reap the rewards of your own little harvests.”
In terms of weight management and the UK’s obesity problems, the NHS cites fruit and veg as being essential for maintaining a healthy weight. Yet in 2018, only 28% of adults and 18% of children aged 5 - 15 were eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
Lucy continues: “I’ve noticed the positive benefits of gardening on my daughter. Although she has zero interest in helping me wheelbarrow three tonnes of cow muck up a steep slope, being with me at the farm throughout the year and being able to sneak into Grandad Hat’s allotment in the summer and steal a handful of strawberries has given her a much keener understanding of the seasons, what ‘harvest festival’ at her primary school really meant and the journey her food takes before it’s on the supermarket shelves.”
Gardening can be done anywhere
‘Gardening’ doesn’t have to mean private access to your own garden, the benefits can be enjoyed if you have a balcony or courtyard garden, and even if you don’t have any outside space at all.
The concept of windowsill gardening really took off during lockdown, and writers like Amy French have published books and blogs about how to garden your own windowsills on a budget.
The number of Community Gardens has also grown in the past few years, with charities like Social Farms & Gardens supporting communities across the UK to farm, garden, and grow together.
Gardening positively impacts your whole body health, so go and get a bit muddy, pop some seeds in the soil, and see what you can grow!
Choose Nourishing Natural Skincare for Your Gardener's Hands:
