UK turns to gardening in crisis
The nation has been gardening its way through lockdown, with almost half of us turning to backyards and allotments to help us through. Gardening is the second most popular lockdown activity after watching TV, with more people (42 per cent) taking it up than cookery (40 per cent) or reading (39 per cent)*. Over 70 per cent of those who responded to a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) survey** felt their garden has helped their mental health during lockdown, with weeding most likely to have a positive impact on wellbeing, closely followed by planting.
Professor Tim Kendall, the NHS’s clinical lead on mental health, says gardening is unique in combining exercise, time outdoors, mindfulness and nurturing – all known to improve mental health. “Seeing your efforts transform into something that grows and matures gives you hope,” he tells us. “Optimism is important for mental health.”
Since 2018 Professor Kendall has been working with the RHS to rebuild Chelsea show gardens at mental health trusts. Gardens designed by Matt Keightley and HRH The
Duchess of Cambridge have been installed at mental health centres in London and Devon.
Plants from a cancelled 2020 Chelsea show garden are now helping coronavirus patients at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Kate Tantam, a sister in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), decided to create a ‘resilience’ garden for staff and patients and sent out a call for help on social media. Within days, designer Tom Massey had offered the plants he would have put into the Yeo Valley Garden at this year’s cancelled show.
Kate now takes Covid-19 patients into the enclosed garden. It is full of fragrant plants such as sweet peas and rosemary, which Kate uses to show patients their sense of smell is returning. “The ICU is an incredibly hard place to be,” she says. “You feel out of control, lonely and broken. If I can take you outside and show you there is life after intensive care, it gives you back your future.”
To donate towards a rehabilitation room in the garden, go to bit.ly/Derriford-nhs-support
How has gardening helped you through the crisis? Email us to share your experiences
Gardening is the second most popular lockdown activity after watching TV