Spending time in the garden associated with better health and wellbeing

Research from the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society Charity found that people who spend time in gardens are significantly more likely to report higher levels of psychological wellbeing, higher levels of physical activity and higher levels of overall general health than people who do not spend time in gardens. This was true whether individuals actively participated in gardening or just used the garden to relax in.

Using data from almost 8,000 people the researchers concluded that the benefits of having a garden and spending time in it was similar to the differences in health between people living in the wealthiest parts of the country compared to the poorest. The research also found that individuals with their own private garden space reported higher psychological wellbeing levels than those with a shared outdoor space.

The researchers also found that individuals that spend time in their gardens were also much more likely to visit nature elsewhere at least once a week.