Gardening: Therapy for the Bereaved – And Others

Gardeners in general are cheerful souls only to willing to share their happiness with those they consider less fortunate (read: non-gardeners). A recent poll conducted for the British Gardeners’ World magazine confirmed this. Gardeners are less likely to display signs associated with unhappiness or depression and 90 per cent think it improves their mood, the survey found. The poll of 1,500 adults in the UK found that 80 per cent of gardeners feel satisfied with their lives compared to 67 per cent of non-gardeners.

An hour’s drive west of Toronto in the university city of Guelph is Homewood Centre. The psychiatric hospital is located in some 20 acres of pleasantly wooded grounds on the banks of the Speed River. Trained horticultural therapists are part of the staff for good reason: gardening helps patients fight their way back from depression, drug and alcohol addiction, trauma and other unhappiness associated with modern day life. While rural residents are not immune to mental disturbance they are more likely to have access a garden. But the majority of people today live in urban areas, often cities. There they are likely to have limited conventional gardening opportunities. For example, in Toronto, Ontario, almost half of the residents are renters, living in highrise apartments, condominiums and townhouses.

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The answer for peace of mind that gardening can bring in such situations may lie with indoor plants and perhaps, where permissible, highrise horticulture on balconies and rooftops. This will also answer the problem of what to do in winter where, unlike at Homewood, a greenhouse is not available. Nor is the culture of living plants in themselves the only therapy for disturbed minds. Preparing herbal blends, sachets and teas for others offers another outlet. In this might be included making up dried catnip ‘mice’ for pet cats who are so often another source of solace. Seasonal wreath making is yet another. Never underestimate either the value of a vase of cut flowers. Of course they going to die but true, so is everything and meanwhile they bring pleasure in their beauty. However, gardening is not an instant answer for restoring mental health. Many sunk into despair will need not just weeks but months of horticultural therapy. An unfortunate few may never recover despite the very best of attention of their health givers. Gardening has also been proven to be preventative medicine. Taking part in two hours of varied activities a day including puzzles, bowling, gardening and singing hymns can halt the progression of dementia for at least a year, according to a German study published in the journal BioMed Central Medicine. A study published in the British Medical Journal suggested that a peaceful retreat such as a garden shed might help lower blood pressure. Study author Professor Alan White, of Leeds Metropolitan University, claimed the hours spent pottering about also has a positive impact on men’s self-esteem. Yet another study from England demonstrated the potential for considerable savings by having volunteers help maintain the gardens of older people no longer able to keep them up on their own. According to the Daily Telegraph, it not only improved their lifestyle but had also built new social networks helping prevent isolation and depression. Horticulturalist Sarah Jackson was convinced that, as a result, they were making fewer visits to the doctor than they might otherwise have done and that had even made them less likely to end up in hospital. A similar study by researchers at Kansas State University (KSU) produced comparable results. Their conclusion: Gardening is an intensive enough activity to help older gardeners keep fit. “Older people often become sedentary and the dynamic qualities of gardening could help them stay active.” Another study from KSU found that gardening can provide older gardeners health benefits such as better hand strength and pinch force, a big concern when people age (HortScience, February 2009). Perhaps all this explains why so many gardeners – nationally known as well as lesser recognized – live to not only ripe old but active ages.