Gardening rocks for the blues, says May
QUEEN star Brian May says gardening has helped him to nip depression in the bud. The guitarist believes flexing his green fingers keeps dark thoughts at bay and has aided his recovery from ill health. The 73-year-old rock icon said: “It’s central to life. I’m so lucky to have greenery around me – without it my brain would explode. It helps me balance. “I’m naturally a depressive. I’m not a cup-half-full person. I’m someone who tends to feel problems very close-up and gardening is such a help, it’s one of life’s great therapies.” Brian told March’s BBC Gardeners’World magazine he is still not back to full strength after suffering a heart attack, a near-fatal stomach haemorrhage and a bout of Covid-19 last year.
Medication
He said: “I thought I’d got sciatica after tree pruning and heavy lifting, but I think I actually got Covid-19 on tour in the Far East, just ahead of the pandemic reaching the UK. “I then had a heart attack and the medication gave me a stomach haemorrhage, which was the closest I’ve come to death.” Brian, married to former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson, believes tending his shrubs has changed him. He said: “I have a tiny garden in London, where we spend time – my wife doesn’t like being anywhere she can’t wear heels. Then I have my garden in Surrey, where we used to release wildlife. “There is something about gardening that grounds you.” Brian revealed Queen frontman Freddie Mercury loved his garden too but not the hard graft, saying: “He had people who dug for him!”