How to grow a mood-boosting garden
Find out why the healing garden should be an intrinsic part of life
When London’s Chelsea Physic Garden was established by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 within a walled, four-acre plot close to the River Thames, the healing power of plants was not just acknowledged, it was an intrinsic part of life. Botany was closely aligned to medicine, and gardens were viewed as restorative and contemplative spaces. It’s an idea that was shared by the Ancient Greeks, yet over the past half century, in intense urban environments, we’ve become increasingly divorced from nature – while the number of people with mental health issues has soared. In 2019, one in four people in the UK (and 792 million people worldwide) experienced problems according to Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA).
