Sustainable Environment
Sustainable Environment
We support alternatives to single use plastics
Consumption & Conservation
Consumption & Conservation
We harvest rainwater from our on-site reservoirs
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Reduced Carbon Footprint
With 80% of bedding plants grown onsite
Composting & Recycling
Composting & Recycling
We recycle over 90% of our on-site waste

Gardening for Wellbeing

Gardening for Wellbeing

As we head into spring, the garden needs preparing. The upside of all the digging, clearing, raking and mowing are that these energetic tasks are a great physical workout, burning calories and boosting your heart rate. We all know that regular gardening keeps you physically fit and flexible, you may not have thought about it, but gardening actually offers a complete body workout – lifting pots works on strength in your arms and legs, pruning and clipping keeps hands and wrists flexible, and planting out requires a complete repertoire of balanced bends and twists across your knee, hip and ankle joints.

Proper posture is essential in any activity, so look after your back; if you can squat while gardening, do. It is one of the best ways to maintain balance and keeps ankles, hips and the lower back strong and flexible, which is why squats are also recommended by Pilates and yoga teachers.

Gardening is also good for our mental health. Even something as simple as having a plant on your windowsill or desk can reduce stress, make you feel more energized and able to think clearly. People suffering from anxiety or depression have found gardening and caring for plants to be incredibly beneficial. So good in fact that some GPs have even started writing prescriptions for gardening! The benefits can be as varied as reduced stress to increased fitness and improved vitamin D levels.

Gardening health benefits can include heart health, better sleep, improved hand strength and the financial benefits of gardening include growing your own vegetables and cut flowers, getting creative with plants to decorate and dress your home and a nice garden can increase the value of your home by up to 20%.

If you need any more encouragement to get out in the garden this spring, gardening is also good for the planet. Think of the environmental impact of homegrown fruit, vegetables and flowers versus those flown halfway round the world. As well as the reduction in plastic consumption, grown at home you can be certain of just how many (or how few) pesticides and herbicides have been used in their production.

Some excellent varieties of fruit cannot be grown for commercial use as they don’t, for example, travel or keep well, but all the better for home gardeners!

How much nicer is a home-grown bunch of flowers than something picked up in a hurry from a supermarket? Or a pot of plants lovingly tended for months before being gifted? And they’re cheaper too…

Choosing plants that are grown locally also help to reduce environmental impact. We grow most of our plants on-site and use other local nurseries for specimen or unusual plants.

Gardening can be great for wildlife

Our gardens are a vital home for wildlife and many species really need our help if they are to survive. But attracting wildlife to your garden is easy and enormously rewarding. A pond is a great place to start but even bird feeders, a bird bath or bird box will have a positive effect. Plant lots of colourful flowers and watch the bees and butterflies come flying in.

Bring the Outdoors In with Houseplants

You can still experience the benefits of nature when it’s too cold for a stroll around the garden by having houseplants.

Shades of green are recognised as being restful, so introducing houseplants to your home can help ease stresses and boost mental wellbeing. As well as looking good, houseplants also improve air quality by trapping and capturing pollutants, allowing you to breathe in cleaner air.

Visit our shop for gardening tools and sundries, seeds, houseplants, bird care and lawncare. We stock everything you need for your garden.