April’s Promise

There is something magical about the garden in April; the clocks have finally jumped forward making the days so much brighter, inevitable April showers are interspersed with gloriously sunny days and everything in the garden is so fresh and full of promise.

There is much to look forward to, in the gardening season ahead!

With spring bulbs blooming, blossoms on the trees and herbaceous perennials growing with lush fresh foliage and the promise of things to come.

Its often said that gardeners live longer lives because they are always looking towards the next season. But us gardeners also focus on the task in hand, perhaps a little repotting, seed sowing or even weeding, forgetting for a while to worry about other things.

Worry and anxiety increase blood pressure and can put strain on the heart. Gardening and caring for plants also puts us in control, and being able to decide on garden or houseplant projects gives a satisfaction that can make life’s other problems seem less important and therefore less anxiety-inducing.

Sometimes a bad day in the office is quite a good thing for the garden! Using pent up anger or frustration in the garden is a great way to get that bed dug over, the overgrown shrub hacked back or the hedge trimmed in double quick time.

Venting some fury in the garden can be very therapeutic, reducing stress and blood pressure. All that frenetic exercise burns calories too of course, and releases endorphins. Endorphins are known as a ‘happy hormone’ as they help in reducing pain, and give a feeling of elation. This in turn can help reduce stress, depression and anxiety, support our immune system and improve mood.

In these technology driven days, and social media threatening to make us all self-absorbed, an hour or two spent with plants and connecting with nature either indoors or out without looking at our phones has to be good for our mental health.