VeryWell Mind: Community Gardens Benefit Those with Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Health Issues
During the pandemic, 18.3 million people chose to start gardening, and 89% of them plan to continue gardening post-pandemic, according to the National Gardening Survey. As more city-dwellers are incorporating gardening into their lives, they're also seeing some major mental health benefits, as well.
The Benefits of Gardening
Gardening, in general, has proven to be an incredible practice for relieving stress. And studies show that community gardens are an efficient and affordable method of promoting physical health and mental well-being.
And a small study that looked at urban rooftop gardening in Spain found that the practice was associated with a greater sense of purpose and social inclusion, emotional and physical well-being, and general quality of life for individuals living with intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders.
As a horticultural therapist at CooperRiis Healing Community, Markus Wullimann, HTL, treats patients through experiential therapies on a working farm.
The program is rooted in the healing power of social engagement and community, Wullimann says, as residents of the program dedicate up to 20 hours a week doing work on the farm that aligns with their interests, whether that's growing and preparing food, gardening, and landscaping, caring for animals, or creating art.
He sees the work being done in the gardens and greenhouses as especially therapeutic.
"When you’re in community with other people who love it, it creates a very good connection," says Mary Joye, LMHC. "The garden is a good buffer for those who have social anxiety and like quiet pursuits, but also don’t like the loneliness. It provides a sense of safety and creativity."
How To Start Gardening
New gardeners should start with easy-to-grow veggies like lettuce, turnips, radishes, beans, and peas before moving onto things like peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. And a garden is only as good as its soil, La Puma says, as well as its gardeners' ability to improve it.
@comfortableNight4463 Reflection: Have you ever tried gardening? Would you like to start?
@comfortableNight4463 I helped start a community garden at my college! I had some of my best times here and I think seeing how much it has grown and the fact that I was a part of that is really special to me. We literally built the beds and put the dirt in! We donated all of the vegetables to food shelters too, which made it really special. ☀️
@fruityPond7887 That's amazing! Kudos to you. I'm sure they loved the vegetables. ❤️
@comfortableNight4463 Thank you so much! Yeah, it was so rewarding ❤️ We also donated to our on campus food bank and I think being able to help our own was the most rewarding to me!
@fruityPond7887 That's amazing! You all did a great job! 👍
@comfortableNight4463 Thank you! I appreciate you!❤️