How Gardening Heals the Mind
We often hear about the benefits of fresh air, exercise, or mindfulness – but gardening brings all of those together in one place.
World Mental Health Day is today – the 10th October. I sat down with RHS Vice-President of the RHS James Alexander-Sinclair and Gardener's World favourite Joe Swift to talk about the restorative power of gardens and the outdoors on my mental health podcast, Headstrong.
In addition to producing the James & Joe Garden Show for Scribehound, I host & produce Headstrong, a top 5 UK mental health podcast in its 6th year. The podcast has welcomed over 145 guests across 13 series, racked up 850,000+ downloads in 125+ countries.
"We didn't talk about mental health when I first started gardening... I just knew I enjoyed it. I found it nourishing."
That word – nourishing – captures the essence of the conversation. Gardening gives us something to care for, something to build and shape, and something that rewards patience. It slows us down. It’s physical enough to exhaust the body but creative enough to calm the mind. Joe shared a deeply personal story about grief, describing how the garden became a refuge after losing his best friend. “For two weeks I just gardened and cried and gardened,” he said. “I swear that garden healed me.” His words are a reminder that nature doesn’t ask questions – it simply gives us the space to feel. But it isn’t just about solitude. As both James and Joe discussed, gardening connects us – to the seasons, to our surroundings, and to other people. Whether it’s neighbours sharing cuttings, or the camaraderie of RHS Flower Shows where “everyone looks after each other”, gardens have an extraordinary way of bringing people together.
Gardening mirrors life. There are successes and failures, life and death, loss and renewal – but, as James beautifully said:
"There’s always another spring.”
This Headstrong episode is a timely reminder for World Mental Health Day that you don’t need a garden to feel grounded. A walk in a park, a plant on your windowsill, or just a few minutes outside with the breeze on your face can all make a difference.
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