The NHS is piloting an eight week course in gardening and vegetable growing to help combat depression.
This is not a new ‘therapy’ as many daycare centres have a gardening group, but in the past has focused on flowers and garden shrubs. The thought behind this process is growing some of your own food can have a restorative effect, being part of the natural world, sowing, watering, weeding, pruning, harvesting and eating the produce from the plants helps to re-establish an individual connection with the planet, its seasons and rhythms.
The NHS is piloting an eight week course in gardening and vegetable growing to help combat depression.
This is not a new ‘therapy’ as many daycare centres have a gardening group, but in the past has focused on flowers and garden shrubs. The thought behind this process is growing some of your own food can have a restorative effect, being part of the natural world, sowing, watering, weeding, pruning, harvesting and eating the produce from the plants helps to re-establish an individual connection with the planet, its seasons and rhythms.
It doesn’t matter if the garden is an allotment, a grow bag, or a few pots on a high rise balcony, the interaction is all important to this therapy. In the garden far from the hassle of everyday life the patient is in control making decisions without interference, this is not a cure all; it is one of the tools that can be used to support their own recovery.
Gardening has been thought to be therapeutic for many years, it gives one a fresh perspective on life and makes us one with Mother Nature and her healing life force, it is no wonder that this ‘pilot’ is being welcomed.
A spokesman for Blooming Direct a horticultural online business on the Island of Jersey said, “gardening has long been one of the most popular pastimes and hobbies, and furthermore both young and not so young from all kinds of backgrounds enjoy gardening, we have a large range of everything for the garden, form a simple packet of garden seeds to vegetable plants, garden bulbs, and a whole host more, all our plants are delivered as plug plants straight to your door in pristine condition and also with orders to the UK there is no delivery charge”
For those looking to fill gaps in their gardens, summer bedding plants can offer a ‘quick fix’ and offer instant results, on the other hand some gardeners would prefer waiting for perennials to grow rather than replacing annual bedding plants.
For the gardener bedding plants provide instant results, they are a ‘quick fix’ solution to gaps in borders, a dreary patio and can make a marvelous show when used as container plants, or hanging basket plants.
With the warmer days of June providing plenty of light necessary for growth, garden plants typically put on a spurt of growth and guarantee a beautiful splash of colour in the dreariest spots of the garden. Doing simple tasks around the garden can help keep colour flowing throughout the summer months.
As spring turns into summer, and the longest day is just around the corner, apart from regular watering there are various jobs that gardeners can do to help ensure that colourful plants remain in flower for as long as possible, such as de-heading, cutting back early flowering perennial plants which can lead to new flower crop later in the summer.
Whether you want a ‘quick fix’ to your garden this summer or you are the dedicated, patient type that gives all your garden plants tender loving care all year long, it does not matter, as long as you enjoy and get something out of it.
For further information visit: www.bloomingdirect.com or you can visit their Facebook page to discover more exciting ideas for your garden this summer.