From the Pod: the science of why (and how) gardening really does make you happier and healthier

Most gardeners know that time outdoors makes them feel better – but they don’t really know exactly why. Increasingly, however, there is specific scientific evidence that the link between gardening and wellbeing is very real, and could be significant for our mental state, cognitive abilities and long-term health.

So, we invited expert Dr Richard Claxton to the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast studio to find out more.

A GP, founder of therapeutic gardening charity Gardening 4 Health, and Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme, Richard has spent much of his career exploring the relationship between gardening and health.

His interest began, he says, in his small North London garden. As a junior doctor working long, stressful hours, he found that growing plants kept him fit and mentally steady. That personal experience led to a wider professional question: if gardening helped him, could it help patients, too?

One of the clearest areas of research concerns stress. When we are under pressure, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone linked to the evolutionary ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

In short bursts, it’s useful, but if chronically elevated, it’s associated with poorer immune function and a higher risk of illness. Studies suggest that spending time in natural environments can reduce cortisol levels within as little as 20 minutes. Research from Japan on “forest bathing” – intentionally spending relaxing time in forest settings – has also shown an increase in natural killer cells, which play a role in immune defence.

How nature affects our wellbeing

There are several possible explanations for these effects. Trees and plants release aromatic compounds into the air; soil emits geosmin, the distinctive scent we notice after rain. Exposure to these compounds appears to influence heart rate and blood pressure, as well as stress hormones.

Soil may also play a part in mood regulation. In our podcast, Richard pointed to studies involving a naturally occurring soil bacterium, heat-treated and administered in clinical settings, which appeared to improve mood in patients with serious illness. While this does not mean that handling compost is a substitute for medical treatment, it adds to a growing body of research exploring the gut-brain connection and the role of serotonin, a neurotransmitter strongly associated with mood. Many antidepressants act on serotonin pathways; evidence suggests that contact with soil organisms may influence similar systems.

Podcast episode:

The real science of health, wellbeing and gardening, with Dr Richard Claxton

Want to find out more? Listen to the whole episode here. 

Gardening Vs cognitive decline

Gardening’s impact is not confined to stress and mood. Richard describes the activity as a ‘cognitive gym’, with particular benefits for those experiencing memory problems or dementia.

Planning a planting scheme, rotating crops on an allotment or working out how to fit seedlings into a greenhouse requires strategy, memory and problem-solving. Observational studies suggest that gardeners are, as a group, less likely to develop dementia than non-gardeners. In care settings, horticultural therapy sessions have been linked to reduced agitation and confusion later in the day.

Gardening for all?

While the health benefits of gardening are relevant for anyone, access to those benefits is limited for many; one in eight people in the UK have no private outdoor space, a figure that rises to one in five in urban areas.

For those without gardens, house plants and community growing projects are more than decorative. Contact with plants and greenery can improve concentration and academic performance among schoolchildren, studies have suggested. Allotments and community gardens, meanwhile, offer social connection – another key determinant of health.

This broader approach to the benefits of exposure to nature has potential in the context of healthcare economics, Claxton argues. As part of this, he points to the increased profile of green social prescribing, in which GPs and link workers direct patients to gardening groups, therapeutic gardens, and outdoor activities, alongside conventional treatments.

For Richard, the most important gardening advice is simple: relax and embrace inevitable garden failures or failed allotment crops, because gardening always does you good, however you do it.

Want to find out more? Listen to the whole episode here.