As we enter 2024 we might not only want to think about our personal goals, but also our intentions regarding our gardens and gardening in general.
Why not to make gardening a meaningful New Year’s resolution?
Embracing gardening as one of our main goals this year will positively impact our wellbeing, as well as bring the multiple physical benefits of a regular exercise. Kornelia, the founder of Hastate Design, explains why gardening is a great activity that should be considered as an important part of our everyday life this year.
Mental health benefits of green spaces
Florence Nightingale was one of the pioneers of using green spaces as an important factor in aiding to the recovery process in hospitals. She promoted the beneficial effects of patients’ exposure to plants not only on mental, but also on a physical level.
There have also been several important trials, which showed that observing nature or even just pictures of nature, positively impacts mood and mental health. Therefore, gardening is a very powerful activity, the benefits of which should never be underestimate.
During gardening we are exposed to nature and the sunlight. This boosts the levels of serotonin (the hormone responsible for the feeling of satisfaction and happiness), as well as increasing the levels of vitamin D. In general, this exposure makes us feel more calm, relaxed and positive. Health professionals should encourage their patients to use garden observation, nature walks and gardening as important tools during their recovery as well as for improving their overall mental health.
There are a number of green health schemes in Scotland promoting the use of green spaces, that are well worth consulting.
Physical benefits of gardening
Gardening involves physical activity. Doing simple gardening activities can boost our overall body strength and increase dexterity.
Gardening also involves some aerobic activities, where our breathing and our heart rate will increase. These include digging, raking, squatting, walking and lifting. We might not realise it, but our garden is in fact a gym outside our window.
Social impact
In a world that struggles with loneliness and isolation, gardening can also create the social element in our lives, especially through community gardening, plants’ exchange, crop sharing. Such “garden” social interactions will bring elements of joy, purpose, companionship and often new friendship.
Year-round enjoyment of gardening
Another key element of gardening’s appeal is that it is a fantastic activity that can be embraced all year round.
If you are an experienced gardener, you will find that there are “gardening tasks” that need to be performed at specific times of the year, like for example pruning roses in the winter, or sowing annuals in the spring.
But don’t get discouraged if you are a gardening novice, as there is a growing trend to do less in our gardens and to keep them on a wild side. This approach relies on gentle approach to gardening, where we do less cutting and tidying up.
Gardening and being in gardens can bring enjoyment for everyone throughout the whole year. This can sometimes be achieved simply by looking at our gardens, tuning in and observing its changes. Just noticing bulbs sprouting in spring will fill us with excitement, joy and the sense of satisfaction.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why gardening should be our New Year’s resolutions list. Let’s make 2024 a year where gardening is an essential part of our everyday activities. We should remember that gardening should be easy and enjoyable, which can be adapted to everyone’s lifestyle.
It can be as simple as observing plants, their habits and interactions. Let’s be gentle towards our gardens, its inhabitants and ourselves, and the rest will follow.
About Hastate Design
Hastate Design is a naturalistic planting design specialist. We offer planting designs, which follow the “right plant, right place” principle. This means we try to understand the garden first, its soil, sun exposure, elevation, before we propose any planting.
We create naturalistic planting designs, which are inspired by natural environments, which mimic the patterns and layouts found in nature. For us it is very important to watch and learn from natural habitats.
We mainly work with perennial plants. This is because of their longevity and their changing appearance over the seasons, which makes the gardens we design interesting all year round.
Our approach responds to the current concerns around the climate change, by creating low maintenance, long lasting, self-sufficient, and visually attractive planting schemes. By selecting the right plants for the site, the planting provides visual variety throughout the year and develops in a way that largely takes care of itself.
Our strap line: gardens gently edited exactly captures our design approach for existing gardens: meaning we gradually introduce new plants and gently edit what is already present.
About the author
Kornelia, the founder of Hastate Design, has a strong background in art and curation. She used to work as a freelance art curator in London, organising art exhibition with emerging artists. This artistic flair is clearly reflected in the designs that she proposes for her clients – especially the skill of combining textures, patterns and colours of plants. Kornelia shares her knowledge and expertise through regular plant walks, workshops as well as gardening coaching sessions.