Monday Morning Blooms – Research about Gardening for Mental Health

Happy Monday Readers, 

It is time for Monday Morning Blooms. This time with a little research about why gardening is good for mental health. Many of us know this already (and linking to Trent’s weekly smile because gardening brings a smile) but there is empirical support for this garden and improved mental health connection. I had to make a video about this topic and thought I would share a few of the images I made for that.

Took this photo of a tree that was blooming a couple months ago. I thought the bloom looked a little like nerve fibers (or not) and so I paired this photo with the research study (Park et al., 2019) which looked at how gardening activities helped “brain nerve growth” for people 76 and older. Gardening activities in the study also had the social connections to gardening for seniors who needed that — but remember that gardening can be very individual too. So many ways to approach the garden. 

In this research study, yoga et al. (2017) examined previous studies and confirmed many of the claims about how gardening can help humans – with an overall takeaway that it can have a restorative impact on cognition. And remember that cognition is not just your thinking – it is your thinking processes – the reasoning the filters, the awarensss, the process, the clarity, the meta-cognition too – your thinking about your thinking. :0) – 

In this study, by Kaplan and Kaplan (back in 1989, wow ) remember that year so well. I was burned out and getting ready to visit Florida for the first time as a young college student. Anyhow, this research study presented human attention as either “direct” or “fascinated” – the direct mode was the working attention – when we “highlight” what we want to pay attention (with attentional blindness ignoring what has little meaning at the time). The direct attention is what we “knowledge workers” of today use so much. It is a great think to have a fun and rich mindset as our direct attention is used, but it can get overloaded. And that is where gardening can come in to allow for refreshment! The fascinated attention is the more indirect and passive attention that can come from “non-threatening” and more relaxing activities. Gardening can often allow for the fascinated attention to engage – as we water, observe a bee landing on a flower, and nurture a plant. Of course stress can come from gardening – when we have issues with plants or soil, when we need to make changes, etc – but the act of gardening can provide reprieve for a heavy cognitive load because it allows for a “flow” in thinking that can restore. Many readers know this – but others out there might need to get a few plants and get going to try this and see for yourself. 

The mind and body respond to gardening in positive ways. We can get physical exercise (depending on how much we do on our own); and the physical body benefits from connecting with the earth’s energy, from the fresh air and natural air, from the visual treats and the brain responds to nature in very positive ways (Ulrich et al,, 1983). Gardening can allow the parasympathetic nervous system to engage (that is the part of the system that is “rest, digest, feed, and breed”) and this helps your immune system and mood. Or it can…. 

Closing photos 

Blooms from a little “wildflower variety seed pack” I experimented with this year. Surprises emerged each week

More blooms from the wildflower seed pack. I like that bud in this shot..

Hey wait – these are NOT blooms – they are “balloons” – and this lackluster vibe reminded me how it feels to have a birthday or graduation right now. Still a little sad that we cannot congregate – but hopefully we are all helping the cause by doing our part with mindfulness. 

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References

Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989), The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.

Park, S., Lee, A., Park, H. G., & Lee, W. L. (2019). Benefits of gardening activities for cognitive function according to measurement of brain nerve growth factor levels. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(5), 760.

Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, 92-99.

Ulrich, R.S. (1983). Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment, in Altman, I., and Wohlwill, J.F. (Eds), Human Behaviour and environment: Behaviour and the natural environment. Plenum Press, 85-125.

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Also joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day

 

Happy Monday

P R I O R H O U S E 

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