Nature, RS, Frau Rita SchneeweißKenneth WebbApril 05, 2025Gardeners World, Dr Libby Webb, Monty DonComment

Gardens and Wellbeing 2025

Nature, RS, Frau Rita SchneeweißKenneth WebbApril 05, 2025Gardeners World, Dr Libby Webb, Monty DonComment

Nature

Gardens and Wellbeing 2025

5 April 2025

In episode 2 of Gardeners World 2025, Dr Libby Webb of Edinburgh observes:

After the Brief Storm

Rheinland-Phalz von RS

“So I spent the last 30 years studying and working in medicine as a doctor, considering the kind of individual but also population health.

So I’m really fascinated with the kind of research some of which is still in its infancy, but kind of pointing us in the direction that gardening and looking onto green space and working in Nature can reduce our stress hormones, regulate our blood pressure, boost our immune function.

And also, it’s well documented that it can lift mood, reduce anxiety, help with sleep.

And the act of gardening itself, you know, it’s functional movement. It’s good for us, it’s what we should be doing and it helps strengthen our bones and our muscles, and helps us to balance, which is particularly important as we get older.

So one of my favourite sayings is that you should sit in Nature for twenty minutes every day. Unless you’re busy, and then you should sit for an hour. And I just love the sentiment behind that.

And whilst I don’t do it or pretend to do it, I think we can all take the message that that’s giving us.

And there’s another saying which is ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, but I just wonder if it might be really good for us to be growing the apple tree as well.”

— Dr Libby Webb, Edinburgh

END OF QUOTE

Observation by the presenter Monty Don:

Of course, Libby is absolutely right. It’s obviously good for us to spend some time just sitting quietly in our gardens.

But if I’m honest, I always say I’m going to do it, and I encourage other people to do it, but I always see things I need to do, And I think any form of gardening is good to do. And if it’s just sitting looking at your flowers, great. And if that’s digging and hard work, equally great.

“Of course, Libby is absolutely right. It’s obviously good for us to spend some time just sitting quietly in our gardens.

But if I’m honest, I always say I’m going to do it, and I encourage other people to do it, but I always see things I need to do.

And I think any form of gardening is good to do. And if it’s just sitting looking at your flowers, great. And if that’s digging and hard work, equally great.”

— Monty Don, Presenter BBC Gardeners World 2025 Spring