"Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years"
Being outside is good for body and mind – it’s a fact! There’s so much evidence out there that gardening benefits mental health, reducing stress, improving mood and self-esteem, and helps with relaxation.
And you don’t need a big garden to benefit…
The physical exercise, interaction with nature, mindfulness, space to think and social interaction that comes from gardening a bigger space, a balcony or even some pots and containers all benefit our general wellbeing.
1. Physical health:
Physical activities like digging, planting, weeding, and watering all help improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility.
2. Stress reduction:
Gardening is known to have a calming effect on the mind and body. Spending time in nature, surrounded by plants and greenery, can help reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and improve overall mental well-being.
3. Mental stimulation:
Gardening involves planning, problem-solving, and making decisions. It can also provide a sense of purpose and achievement as you care for and watch your plants grow. All contributing to and enhancing cognitive function and improving focus and concentration.
4. Fresh air and vitamin D:
Spending time outdoors exposes you to vitamin D from sunlight, which is essential for bone health and overall immunity. Sunlight also boosts mood and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
5. Social interaction:
Gardening can be a social activity, providing opportunities to connect with neighbours, friends, or community gardening groups. Sharing tips, experiences, and produce can foster a sense of community and belonging.
6. Environmental impact:
Gardening contributes to the preservation and enhancement of the environment. Creating habitats for birds, butterflies, and pollinators promotes biodiversity, even planting in the smallest space has a positive impact on the environment and our wildlife.
OK, so gardening alone may not directly add years to our lives but it can certainly contribute to a healthy lifestyle that may have that positive knock on impact to longevity. Plus our pollinator friends really need us!! It’s a win win….
But how to start gardening?
The good news is gardening is not an exact science. The most experienced gardeners make mistakes, so beginner gardeners shouldn’t be at all intimidated.
People often think they can’t garden. Because they don’t own a garden, don’t know enough about it or can’t think where to start. But I believe given the right pointers and building blocks, anyone can garden and there are lots of ways to get started.
Follow these 4 easy steps to arm yourself with some gardening basics and to get started. Start with a simple pot
Creating something lovely in a pot can be so satisfying and your display will last for months, even years depending on your plant options. And you can change up your plants depending on the season. Pots can also be low maintenance and manageable so it’s easy to look after them.
A window box, a pot on a balcony or by a front door can transform a space, bring you loads of pleasure and get you started on that gardening journey. Top tip, herbs are a brilliant place to start.
Growing from seed
A brilliant next step on your gardening journey, growing cut flowers and annuals, herbs or veg is a fab way of expanding your gardening know-how.
And don’t go mad in the seed aisle! Start slowly! I know from experience, it's easy to get excited when starting out and plant too much, which ends up being hard to keep up with and you feel overwhelmed and discouraged. So start slowly and you’ll soon see the fruits of your labour.
Sorting a border
If you’ve got an outside space that is new or has run away from you, start small. Take stock of what you’ve got and keep the plants you like and take out anything you don’t like. We often feel we need to keep plants even if we’re not fans because it would be bad to take them out. But I’m a strong believer that if you don’t like something you should remove it and move on. And there might be someone else out there who would be delighted with a free plant!
Plan what you’d like your border to look like next season and build up from there. Again, start slowly. Don’t go mad online or at the garden centre and find you end up with too many plants for your space or plants that just don’t go together.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour
Most importantly, take the time to enjoy what you’ve created. Whether that’s a gorgeous pot, some homegrown veg or a new border in your garden, make sure you take the time to admire and take stock of how far you’ve come.
Gardening is trial and error and finding what works, what you like, what you don’t like is all part of the journey. Starting with some basics though and building up over time will reduce the risk of overwhelm, having too much to do and feeling like you’re gardening out of necessity rather than because you love it.
If you’re keen to start gardening but don’t know where to start, my services are perfect for you. My in-person or virtual coaching will help you tackle your outside space and set you up with the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to continue to develop and maintain it in the future.
Katie Townsend Garden Design is a small design studio in Edinburgh.
Working on a broad range of projects from courtyard gardens to small city gardens, and larger spaces, we cover Edinburgh, Glasgow and East and West Lothian. We also offer virtual design services throughout the UK.