As Spring gets into gear (at last), we may be glad to see the back of winter colds and bugs but there is one ‘bug’ that will benefit your children, grandchildren or school pupils for their whole lives – and that is the gardening bug. There is a raft of evidence that green spaces and gardening can have huge benefits to...
Two decades into the 21st century I reckon that it is time to stop separating the plants in our gardens from the wildlife. A fabulous garden should not ignore the potential to benefit biodiversity as well as the human residents. We have all read about insect pollinators being required for a good crop of fruit and vegetables and few people...
It may not seem very original to write about garden visiting for the summer months and I certainly often encourage readers to reap the benefits of visiting other gardens. But this time I am suggesting that you start your visit slightly differently. There is still the opportunity to find new plants, examine planting combinations and design features and gather ideas...
Care Home Residents Living With Dementia Respond Well To Gardening Activities Research shows that engaging with nature benefits the mental as well as physical wellbeing of people of all ages. The immediacy and tactile nature of table-top gardening can provide engagement and sensory stimulation for residents in the later stages of dementia, when verbal communication and deteriorating memory can make...
I was invited to join the BBC Radio Kent Sunday Gardening programme on December 1st 2019 to talk about Plants for Winter Interest. As a regular listener to the show it was a treat to meet Andy Garland again, the show's host and a keen gardener, and one of the Sunday Gardening resident horticultural experts Steve Bradley. Winter can easily be...
There are many ways in which gardening can be your everyday mindful activity and not just in summer, as my blog from November shows. Contact me if you want to find your own route to Gardening for the Mind. November is not the most exciting month in the garden but I am always cheered to come home to a planter of...
I was delighted to write an article for the online magazine Care Home Management about bringing gardening activities into care homes and the benefits for residents. In recent years research and pilot projects have shown that time spent out in nature and meaningful nature-based activities bring significant wellbeing benefits to people of all ages. Gardening is the most familiar, accessible and...
Seasonal Gardening activities improve wellbeing at Dementia Cafés & Peer Support Groups These meetings, run by The Alzheimer’s Society in Kent and Medway for people living with dementia provide vital support, information and a space to socialise. The meetings include activities to stimulate and engage the attendees through reminiscence, use of different senses, creativity and fun. Since 2016, I have been providing...
Sometimes it seems that you can hardly read or listen to the news without hearing statistics about the environment, from the loss of insect populations, destruction of rain forests to the number of species approaching extinction. But I want you to think about a different statistic and this one is part of the solution not the problem. However, that does...
In August 2018 I spoke on the Health Matters Radio Show for Kent Channel Radio, interviewed by Neil D’Silva. Together Caroline Alldis, Natural Mindfulness practitioner and I explained how Gardening for the Mind blends the benefits of gardening and mindfulness and how we came to work together to offer these unique workshops. Listen to the radio interview here https://www.gardeningbydesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Gardening-for-the-Mind-Health-Matters-Radio.mp3 Hear the whole show (no. 33)...
