Keeping Positive: The Benefits of Gardening for Mental Health

I find I'm really lucky with my job that I get the benefits of the good outdoors but we all still struggle at times with positivity, right? Too much to do, not enough hours, striving but not reaching goals. Whatever your struggle is, it's real!

My biggest struggle is the time I can dedicate my family. The children are getting older and when/if we can be all together is so limited. Also my grandfather is not able to join me with gardening any more due to health, this has been a life long hobby of ours.

So every morning I like to have a walk around the garden and spot the changes, the children think “Mum's mad” but there really are daily changes. For fun, I like to try to grow obscure plants, ones with hard germination rates or just cool plants I happen to of come across.

A plant that makes me smile when I see it is my Aristolochia macrophylla, this is one of the obscure plants. I invested in 10 seeds and 2 years later after I completely gave up hope they germinated, well 3, but we had hope!! After love and nurture, I’m a further 3 years in and one is starting to climb.

5 years of effort she says? Not all plants have to be a long journey, some are so fast rewarding you don’t notice them sneak up on you and pow they are there in their beauty for example these little mesembryanthemum that were a “well why not, let's try it” idea are a dazzle of colours in the garden.

What cheers you up in the garden? Do you think maybe you could do with some more you time in the good outdoors? Perhaps just reading with us today has brought some joy to you.

Here at Sow & Grow UK we aim to bring joy and hope to your gardening adventure and wish for you to continue to join our potting shed journeys for more inspiration.