Growing Our Own Plants
Published on 09 August 2022 08:56 AM
Wimbledon have kindly donated some lovely plants to our Day Centre, which have made a great addition to the place! Research has shown that growing plants has many benefits beyond just aesthetics. This includes both mental and physical positive impact!
As humans we have a strong connection with nature and bringing it into our daily lives can make us calmer and more content.
Studies have proven that having plants in your surroundings reduce stress, lower blood pressure, releasing muscle tension and increasing positive feelings (1). Having a community garden can also help to bring people together with a common interest.
Tending to an indoor plant can also have benefits for mental health, helping to increase feelings of well-being among people with depression, anxiety and dementia. Amazingly, gardening has shown to relieve dementia symptoms and even help reduce the risk of it before it sets in (2).
They can also help to improve the quality of your surroundings, as having plants indoors improves the air quality. They do this by absorbing toxins in the air and increasing oxygen levels. Plants also release water vapor into the air. This can help reduce headaches and ease respiratory ailments.3
Research suggests that they can even increase your memory retention – up to 20% (4). Having something to care for and focus on exercises the brain improving our cognitive ability!
Being around plants decreases the amount of amount of pain you feel which can be incredibly beneficial to those with chronic conditions. As well as this they can help to boost your immune system, lessening the likeliness of illness (5).
Overall plants can be pretty miraculous and we should be welcoming them whenever and wherever we can! From beauty to stress relievers, they can do a lot to benefit us.
1.https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/benefits_of_plants_life_as_we_know_it_live_it_and_pay_for_it
2. https://www.mamasmiles.com/6-surprising-health-benefits-of-growing-plants/
3. https://www.swansonsnursery.com/blog/health-benefits-of-houseplants
4. https://organicgardentips.com/health-benefits-growing-plants/