In times of lockdown, it is an interesting observation: those who spend more time in their garden are healthier and feel better. This is shown by large-scale British research.
Those who regularly spend time in a private garden are more likely to show good health and a higher level of psychological well-being than those who do not, even if they have a garden.
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society in Great Britain concluded that after the analysis of data collected by Natural England between 2009 and 2016, on nearly eight thousand people. Natural England is an agency affiliated with the British Ministry of the Environment.
There was already a great deal of study work on the impact of public green spaces on public health. For the first time, the effect of private gardens has also been widely investigated.
Also just relax
The effects of the garden on health and well-being can be seen in both: those who garden and those who simply relax in the garden. Regular gardeners are also more likely to get enough exercise and are more likely to go out into nature.
The differences are significant, say the researchers, and they are also comparable to the health differences between the wealthiest and most impoverished regions of the country.
“It is important to have access to an outdoor space such as a garden, but our findings indicate that it is the use of that space that is beneficial to health and well-being,” says lead author Sian de Bell of the University of Exeter.
“This study adds to the increasing body of scientific evidence about the health benefits of gardens and gardening,” said co-author Alistair Griffiths of the Royal Horticultural Society.
“As the current Covid-19 crisis shows, it is urgent to include the creation of private gardens in national health prevention plans.” The research was published in Landscape and Urban Planning.
